RWBY: Forsaken - Tetharan Chronicles
by EchoNetwork006
Summary: Although our heroes have won the battle outside of Vale and within Mount Glenn, the war is only beginning. Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, Adam, Roman, and Neo stand against the kingdoms of Remnant with the full force of the White Fang beneath them, and the world will need to work together to survive. Part 3 of 5 in the Forsaken Series. Theme: Forsaken by Tiago D. Ferreira.
1. Prologue

"Excuse me! Sorry!" Ruby yelled out to people as she passed through a crowd to get to class. She had made it just in time before the bell rang, making her way to her seat next to Weiss for Grimm Studies.

As Port began to rattle off another of his stories, Ruby leaned over to Weiss and began whispering, "Where's Sam?"

"What do you mean, dolt? We're in class," Weiss pointed out, not interested in Port's story anyway.

"That didn't stop him before, did it?" Ruby pointed out, back in Remnant History.

"I'm sure he's just really busy," Weiss sighed, pulling out a notebook.

"What do you mean? We won the battle, didn't we? What's still to do?" Ruby asked, curious.

"The war is far from over, Ruby. You and I both know that is true," Weiss began, pulling out her scroll. "This happened last night," she finished, pointing at her screen. It showed a breaking news article, with the ruins of a small town making the headlines.

"What happened?" Ruby worried.

"The White Fang bombed the town. I guess it was payback for their loss earlier," Weiss grimaced, putting away her scroll.

"So what has Sam been doing?" Ruby questioned.

"He went out into Vale and gave a report to the city about what actually happened just outside of Vale, as well as Mount Glenn. The city was furious, of course, and Sam started a military draft. He's building an army," Weiss explained.

"But we already have the Vale Defense Force, why do we need an army?" Ruby tilted her head to the side.

"The VDF is nowhere near the size of an army, and they are going to need everybody they can get to win this war," Weiss replied.

"I hope Sam's doing okay," Ruby returned her focus on the class.

"Me too," Weiss choked out under her breath.

* * *

Sam slammed his head down into his desk, frustrated with how the army draft had been going so far. Files had been mixed up, things were getting lost, and all of it was just serving to stress Sam even further beyond his stress level. He groaned and picked his head up when he heard his scroll going off. Reaching over, he saw the call he was getting was from Ironwood.

"Everything okay, General?" Sam asked as he answered.

"Everything will be okay when this war is over, Mr. Engle. I've received reports from Vacuo, and they have spotted White Fang forces in their area. White Fang forces are also making a move over here in Atlas, so if you are building an army I suggest you do it before the White Fang arrive on your doorstep. My forces, as well as Vacuo's forces will hold them off for now, but reinforcements will be nice. No word yet from Mistral," Ironwood reported.

"Understood. Thank you, general. I'll be sure to hurry my troops," Sam nodded his head, ending the call.

"So this is how it all starts?" a voice from the door startled Sam. He looked up to see Seth standing there, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed.

"Yeah, I guess so. Any good news about our recruits yet?" Sam hoped.

"Yes, actually. We have 3 waves of 10,000 being trained right now, with another 20,000 behind them. From there, we will have another 15,000 to be trained in reserve, in case of invasion or severe loss," Seth read from his scroll.

"That's good news. If we add the 5,000 from the VDF, we should be in good shape once they are all trained and ready to go," Sam nodded his head, looking towards the window again.

"So what's the plan here, sir?" Seth sat down in the other chair of the room.

"Simple, we build our army and help drive White Fang forces off of Vacuo and Atlas' territory. Once that's settled, we'll hit them right in their heart; Tethara," Sam replied.

"And we know for certain Cinder is based at Tethara?" Seth was making sure.

"There is no other place for her to be fortified. Think about it: it was linked to Mount Glenn, it was abandoned for 100 years, what could be a better capitol?" Sam reasoned.

"You have a point. No matter if they are based there or not, we need to push the White Fang forces back anyway. So we haven't heard anything from Mistral?" Seth questioned.

"No, they have been surprisingly quiet throughout all of this. We may want to send some people over and make sure they aren't compromised," Sam thought out loud.

"You don't really think…?" Seth's eyes widened.

"We can't assume anything, Seth, you know that!" Sam spat at him. "We don't have any room in war to guess."

"Yeah…you're right," Seth leaned back in his chair.

"Bring me your team, as well as Tom once he is cleared for duty. I want you guys to go over to Mistral and make sure we can receive reinforcements from them, understood?" Sam ordered.

Seth stood up, and saluted Sam. "Sir, yes sir," Seth turned and walked out of Sam's office.

 _It's only a matter of time now_

* * *

"Alright Cinder, the time is now, where do you want us?" Roman asked, sitting on his chair around a large round table bearing the map of Remnant.

"Adam, I want you in charge of taking out Vale. Get rid of Beacon, as well as that pest Sam Engle," Cinder motioned to Adam. He simply nodded, and left the room.

"Roman, you go and take out Mistral. You'll be able to sneak through enemy lines the easiest, so it won't be hard for you to invade a kingdom across the world," Cinder nodded towards Roman, with him nodding back.

"Mercury, you will take on the full might of Atlas. I trust your skill and ability to lead in battle. You will be the best choice to take out the brawn of Remnant," Cinder looked to Mercury, with him nodding his head.

"That leaves Vacuo to you, Emerald. Their forces are not to be underestimated, or your forces will be devastated. Play your cards right and it will be an easy fight; don't and lose your entire army," Cinder finished with Emerald.

"And what will you be doing, Cinder?" Roman scoffed as he stood from the table.

"I will keep my forces here, in case any of you should fail and Tethara would need defending," Cinder stared back at Roman. "Now go!" The remaining three commanders turned towards the exit and returned to their forces, moving them to their specified areas.

 **AN: And thus begins the war for Remnant: The Tetharan Chronicles! This will be one of the longer parts of the Forsaken series, give or take 20-30 chapters. I hope this little prologue left you wanting more, and chapter one will be posted as soon as I can get it written! I hope to make it 3,000 words, and I want you guys to expect that to be the norm, unless you would rather have smaller chapters! Please let me know which you would prefer! Thank you guys so much for reading! Please leave a review giving me some feedback, I would love to hear it! I'll see you guys next time.**


	2. Chapter 1

Sam jumped awake, cold sweat beating down his forehead. The nightmare he had about Weiss's death had been haunting his sleep again. He wiped the sweat off and laid his head back onto his pillow. He almost went back to sleep when he heard a knock at his door. Reluctantly, he sat up, and called to the visitor that the door was unlocked. He wiped the last of the drowsiness out of his eyes and looked to see Seth standing in the doorway.

"Sorry to wake you so early, sir, but I wanted to get a head start on today," Seth said, sympathetically. Sam tilted his head in confusion, and noticed it was still dark outside. He looked at the clock on his bedside table and saw it was 2:45 AM.

"Talk about an early start, Seth," Sam relaxed again. "Okay, is your team ready? Has Tom been cleared for duty?"

"I'm all ready to go," the sound of Tom's voice called from behind Seth.

Sam sighed and put his head in his hands, muttering, "Of course you are…" Standing up next to his bed, he spoke again, more clearly saying, "If that's the case bring your team to the briefing room. I'll be there momentarily."

Seth nodded his head and then turned to leave the room. As he left, Tom's large black form behind him appeared and he entered the room, closing the door behind him. "How have you been, Sam?" Tom asked softly, sitting down in a chair next to Sam's desk.

"I'm fine, Tom, really," Sam responded, wiping what was left of the drowsiness out of his eyes.

"Sources say otherwise, sir. Sources as reliable as that girl you're with," Tom shot back.

"And did Weiss say?" Sam had not known she had been concerned about him.

"Something to do with nightmares, that's the extent of it," Tom answered.

"It's nothing, really," Sam tried to avoid the questions.

"Now that is a load of horse shit and you know it. Don't lie to me, Engle. Now, what's up?" Tom replied forcefully.

"It's been around for a while, ever since I knew Weiss. I've had nightmares about losing her, okay?" Sam stared at the ground.

"How long have you had feelings for this girl?" Tom asked.

"Ever since I met her, really. I might not have known at the time that's what it was, but I figured out by the time we had been separated that it was true. I just have these nightmares, then the scare at the restaurant, it's all just piling up and I can't help but feel it's going to come true. It's the same dream, and it feels just as real every time," Sam explained.

"Any ideas why this keeps happening?" Tom asked softly.

"I can only think it's a sign; like a warning," Sam sighed.

"Or maybe it's just because you're scared of losing her…?" Tom countered.

"Of course I'm scared of losing her! I love her, and we're dealing with monsters who are naturally stronger than everyone else on this planet besides me!" Sam flared.

"You're letting that fear control your emotions, Sam, can't you see that?" Tom reasoned. "You know she will want to fight, and you can't deny her that chance."

"Of course I can! She is safer at Beacon, with her teammates," Sam shot back.

"No she isn't, Sam! She is safer with you!" Tom finished.

"And how is that?" Sam refused the idea.

"If she is with you, at least you are there to protect her. If she were to be attacked by one of those monsters and you weren't there to save her…she would die," Tom reasoned.

"If Weiss comes with me, so do her teammates, and I can't take care of those four at the same time," Sam countered.

"You don't have to, Sam. You've seen them fight, you know they can handle themselves, and can save each other if need be," Tom said, standing up and walking to the door. "You might want to get suited up, we'll be waiting in the briefing room," he said, closing the door behind him.

Sam sighed, punching the wall, and then walked over to his closet to put on his armor for the day ahead.

* * *

"Alright gentlemen, listen up! Your mission today will be to find out what is going on in Mistral. Communications have gone dead, and we have heard no word from them since this all started. Fly to Mistral, discover their situation, and recruit their forces for the coming war. Any questions?" Sam finished as he stood before Seth's squad.

"Yeah, what happens if Mistral is under attack?" one of them asked.

"Then you assist in the fight and bring their communications back online so we can send reinforcements. I trust you men to be more than capable of taking on some White Fang scum," Sam responded.

"And if Mistral is already gone by the time we are there?" the same man asked.

"Listen, we don't even know if they are under attack, but if they are we are taking the necessary precautions. Mistral will still be there when you arrive, don't you worry about that," Sam replied. "Any more questions?"

"None, sir. All clear on our end," Seth answered, gathering his belongings.

"Good. Get to your airship, you leave in 10 minutes," Sam ordered.

Seth's team of 30 began packing up their equipment and ammo, with the only ones not moving being Sam and Tom. After the rest of the team left, Tom came up and sat down next to where Sam was standing.

"Thought any more on what we talked about?" the muscular black man asked.

"Yes, I did. You're right that she would be safe with me, but at the same time I can't guarantee she will be coming with me. Ozpin won't just allow me to take his students to a war they aren't ready for," Sam responded

"I guess that's a better reason than you gave me before. Just talk to Oz, I'm sure he'll understand," Tom stood up, looking at his watch. "Gotta go. See you guys when we get back."

"See you, my friend," Sam waved as Tom left the room.

* * *

"This way, Anselm," Ironwood lead the head Schnee to his lab in Atlas.

"Is she ready?" Anselm asked.

"Yes, and I think the boys did a rather good job. Take a look for yourself," Ironwood pointed to a tub where a replica of Weiss was floating in the liquids of the tub.

"Incredible…" Anselm looked at the clone with awe. "It's an exact copy!"

"Not quite, sir. Unlike your daughter, she does not have a scar," Ironwood pointed to the clone's eye. Anselm looked closer, and then nodded his head in acknowledgement. "She is ready to come to life, if you wish, sir," Ironwood offered.

"Alright, let's see what your scientists were able to create," Anselm nodded his head again, watching the tub. Slowly, the tub drained out the liquids inside of it and the Weiss clone inside began to stand on its own. Once all of the liquid had been drained, the tub slowly opened up, allowing the clone to walk outside of it.

She walked out, eyes still closed, and stopped just a little bit in front of Anselm and Ironwood. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked over to Anselm, and smiled, saying, "Hello, father."

* * *

A knock on his door brought Ozpin's attention away from his book, and he looked up just in time to see Sam walk in to his office. "Mr. Engle, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Ozpin asked, putting his book down.

"I need to talk to you, Oz," Sam sighed, sitting in the chair across from Ozpin's desk.

"I think I may know what this is about," Ozpin shared a knowing smile.

"You do?" Sam's shocked expression served only to make Ozpin chuckle.

"I've already been speaking the other professors about the war, and Beacon will be alongside Vale's new army for the battles to come. What that means is that Team RWBY and any other team you wish will be able to accompany you for your missions," Ozpin took a sip from his mug,

"Who told you?" Sam questioned.

"Who was the only other person to talk to you about this?" Ozpin smiled again.

"I swear, when he gets back I'm gonna punch him," Sam folded his arms across his chest.

"And why would that be? You got what you wanted," Ozpin chuckled again.

"Never mind. So what's you plan then, Oz?" Sam asked.

"Well, when your army is ready, I will assign teams and professors to each of your divisions. That way we can keep up with the status of everyone in Beacon," Ozpin replied.

"Glad to hear, I'll let you know when everything is ready," Sam stood up and turned to leave.

"Mr. Engle," Ozpin called before Sam could leave the room. "You might want to go talk to Weiss, she has been worried about you."

"And how do you know that?" Sam asked incredulously.

"I have my sources," Ozpin smiled, "now go." Sam turned to leave again, and headed towards where Weiss's first class of the day was.

* * *

"Sir, were about to enter Mistral air space," the pilot called back to Seth.

"Understood! Find us a place to land in the city," Seth ordered.

"Um, sir, that's going to be a bit difficult," the pilot hesitated.

"Why is that?" Seth asked.

"Come see for yourself," the pilot unlocked the door into the bridge. Seth's jaw nearly hit the floor as he watched Mistral. The city was under heavy attack, with fires everywhere stray shots shooting up into the sky.

"Try and get in contact with Mistral command and find us an LZ," Seth ordered, heading back out into the passenger cab where his team was. "Alright boys, Mistral is under heavy attack. Our primary objective is to get their outbound communications back online so we can alert Sam of what's going on. We help where we can and make sure Mistral lives to see another day, understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the team shouted back.

Suddenly, the ship began to shake violently, throwing the team to the floor. "Pilot, what's going on?!" Seth yelled to the cockpit.

"We've been hit! We're going down!" The pilot shouted back, from the sound of his voice he could tell he was struggling with the controls.

"Everyone, brace for impact!" Seth ordered. Just as Seth cried out the order, the ship crash landed into one of Mistral's buildings.

* * *

Sam entered Grimm studies just as the automated bell rang out for Beacon's classes to start, and began looking around for Weiss. He saw her sitting with her teammates, and made his way down to them. Before he could sit down though, Professor Port came into the room and saw him in the aisle.

"Well look who it is! It's Sam Engle!" Port's voice bellowed throughout the hall. Sam stopped, looked over at the professor and smiled.

"It's good to see you, Peter," Sam called back, walking down to shake hands with the teacher.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Engle?" Port asked, lifting one of his eyebrows.

"Just came to watch, see if you've changed any," Sam laughed.

"You should know, I never change," Port laughed back. "Find a seat, I'm sure you could use a refresher on things." With that, Sam made his way back up to Team RWBY and sat down next to Weiss, watching as Port began his stories.

"Fancy seeing you here," Weiss whispered, nudging Sam with her elbow.

"Well, I figured you were worried about me, so I decided to come and ease your fears," Sam replied, leaning back in his chair.

"So how is everything?" Weiss asked, trying to make it look like she was paying attention.

"Better now, since I'm here," Sam smiled, and nudged Weiss back.

"Ugh, please tell me it's because of me and not Port's stories," Weiss sighed, and put her head into her hands.

Sam laughed quietly and patted Weiss's shoulder. "Yes, it's because of you." Weiss hummed to acknowledge what he said, and leaned over on his shoulder as they sat through the rest of Port's class.

* * *

Seth tried to look around, but all he saw was darkness. He could hear a faint knocking, and it had been getting louder. Suddenly, the door that led out of the ship flew open, and a single figure rushed inside. Seth could see figures around him begin to stand and make their way towards the exit, meaning more than just Seth survived the crash. Almost every figure had left, but the lone figure that knocked down the door had stayed. She began looking at the other bodies, checking to see if they were alive. Seth wanted to call out, but when he tried, his voice was lost. Thankfully, she heard his feeble attempts and ran over to where he was.

"Can you stand?" she asked lightly, or what seemed lightly to Seth at the time. He still couldn't talk, but he nodded his head. "C'mon, I'll help you up," she offered a hand. Seth took it, and with all of his strength he lifted his body up. The woman helped him find his balance, then let him stand on his own.

Suddenly, he found his voice, "Wh-Who are you?"

"My name is Chaney. Chaney Ashcroft. Come on, we need to go," Chaney said, trying to push him to the exit. Seth managed to walk over to the exit, looking out from where they crashed. From what he could tell, the battle was still going on, and he could see his team picking up their weapons and securing the area.

"Now it's my turn to ask. Who are you?" Chaney followed Seth out of the crashed ship.

"Sergeant Seth Gates," Seth managed to say, getting better control over his body.

"Where did you guys come from? One moment the battle was just going on like normal, then all of the sudden this ship comes out of nowhere and crashes," Chaney questioned as they walked over to Seth's team.

"We're from Vale, we were sent out here to see why Mistral's communications went down," Seth replied, picking up his own weapon.

"I see. A couple of your guys died in the crash, about 5 or 6, if you include the pilot," Chaney told him.

"Alright. Do you know where Mistral Command is?" Seth turned to face her.

"It's just down the block. Follow me," She said, running past Seth to the far street. Seth signaled to his squad to follow, and they began marching to Mistral Command to begin cleaning up this huge mess.

 **AN: I'm back and I'm alive! I'm sorry I made you guys wait this long for the chapter update. With the suicide of someone who was like a sister to me, I'm still struggling through everything. But, I've made time to write and have finally gotten back into the swing of things. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and if you have any questions about anything, just shoot me a PM or leave a review. Thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 2

Chaney led the way through the ruined halls of what looked like the town's barracks. Through a couple of rooms, Seth could see a couple of Mistral squads keeping an eye out for hostile, and were very wary to let Seth and his squad through. Once they saw Chaney, the squads let them by with no trouble, which made Seth curious. Eventually, the squad made it in front of a large door. Chaney, with the help of some of Seth's squad, pushed one of the doors open into the main chamber, where several Mistral soldiers ran over to assist. One of the more decorated soldiers walked up to Seth and extended a hand.

"You must be the commanding officer of this squad?" the man asked.

"Sergeant Seth Gates, sir. We're from Vale," Seth took the extended hand and shook it.

"I see. I guess someone finally noticed Mistral's communications stopped working," the man sighed.

"Yes sir, that was what we were sent to investigate and repair, if able," Seth reported.

"And in the process, you found my city burning, and found your ship crash landing," the man looked up towards Seth again.

"That's right, sir. How did you know that?" Seth asked.

"The girl over there that saved your ass is my daughter," the man replied, chuckling. "I'm the man in charge here. The name is Jeff Ashcroft."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Ashcroft," Seth saluted.

"Let's stick with sir for now, got it?" Jeff asked. Once Seth nodded, Jeff motioned over to an electronic board on the other side of the chamber. Both walked over, meeting up with Chaney and the rest of Seth's squad. "Now we are here," Jeff explained, pointing at the center of Mistral. "The White Fang has established 3 jammers within the city; one to the north of us, one to the east of us, and one to the west of us." Each point lit up on the map as he listed them off.

"If we could take out one or two of them, we could send a distress call to Vale," Seth offered.

"No, we need to take out all three. The two to the north and east of us are meant to block outbound communications, but the one in the west is meant to jam communications within the city. I can't coordinate a defensive or a counter attack until that jammer is down," Jeff replied.

"We can take out the jammer in the west. That way, you guys could rally your forces and attack the other two jammers," Seth told them.

"I'm going with you," Chaney spoke up.

"Like hell you are, we can do this on our own, thanks," Seth answered her.

"I would like to point out, sergeant, she is the only reason you're still breathing, she is the only one who knows how to get around Mistral, and she is a trained huntress, who is just as skilled, if not better than you in combat," Jeff chuckled. Seth refused to comment. "She will lead you to the jammer, and you will destroy it. Make it quick, the White Fang have been getting too close for comfort to this building," Jeff ordered.

* * *

"Greetings, General. What do I owe the pleasure?" Sam stood from his desk as General Ironwood opened the door to his office.

"I have a proposition for you, Mr. Engle," Ironwood replied, taking a seat across from Sam's desk.

Sam sat back down as well, asking, "What would that be?"

"I've heard your sergeant is out in Mistral, and you are without your number two. My proposition is I have created a prototype soldier who could fight alongside you, as well as lead teams into battle. She is incredibly strong and talented, and she will be incredibly useful for you," Ironwood answered.

"Any reason why you would give her to me, instead of you using her?" Sam questioned.

"Simple, she still has many techniques to learn, and who better to teach her than you? She will learn on and off the battlefield, she could be like your apprentice," Ironwood offered.

"Alright, who is she?" Sam asked.

"Penny, you can come in now," Ironwood called outside.

Sam waited a few moments, before seeing a female figure appear in the doorway with orange hair, waving a hand saying, "Salutations!"

"You can't be serious, James," Sam pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You haven't even seen her in combat yet," Ironwood tried to change Sam's mind. "Besides, she would serve you well with tactical appraisals and strategy, as well as her ability to take over a battle. Give her a chance."

"She can stay here. She'll go through the sims just like every other soldier I'm training," Sam sighed.

"Thank you very much, sir," Penny saluted with a big smile on her face.

"Don't mention it," Sam attempted a smile. It worked, mostly.

"I need to head out," Ironwood said, looking at his scroll. "Back to the battlefield. I'll see you later, Mr. Engle." Ironwood then stood up and left the room, leaving Penny and Sam alone.

"Whatcha doin there?" Penny looked on Sam's desk curiously.

"Handling every piece of bloody paperwork for this whole army I'm trying to build," Sam sighed.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Penny tilted her head. "These papers don't have any blood on them."

Sam then groaned and smashed his head into his desk.

* * *

Bullets rained down on Seth and his squad as they drew closer to the western jamming tower.

"It's no use! We keep going this way and were all gonna die!" Tom shouted to Seth from cover.

"He's right Chaney! There has to be another way!" Seth looked around from where he was hiding.

"Just buy me some more time, I can take out those MG's that are raining down on you guys," Chaney yelled from a building next to them.

"Damn this woman," Seth muttered to himself. "Open fire men!" Seth and his squad popped out from cover and began firing back at the MG's, as well as some White Fang squads that appeared from the buildings along the street. As Seth continued to fire, he saw some of his squad mates in front of him being shot and killed by those MG's. "Chaney, whatever it is you are going to do, DO IT NOW!" Seth shouted up at her, dipping back into cover. Suddenly, loud explosions came from where the MG's had been positioned, and Seth looked back up out of cover to see them engulfed in flames. The surviving White Fang forces had begun running for their lives, retreating back down the streets. Chaney walked out of the building she had been in, a large smirk on her face.

"Took you long enough," Seth sighed, looking over at his squad mates as they checked over the bodies of their fallen comrades.

"I'm sorry, there wasn't anything I else I could've done faster," Chaney's smirk faltered after seeing the casualties.

"It doesn't matter, soldier die I guess. We have to get to the jammer, before the rest of your forces end up like those guys," Seth straightened up, reloading his rifle.

"Right. This way, up the street! It's just a couple of blocks down the road now," Chaney began jogging off towards the jammer.

"Take their tags, and leave a beacon here. We'll come pick up their bodies for a proper funeral later," Seth ordered before jogging after Chaney. Tom and the rest of the squad did as Seth ordered, and followed the two.

After moving a couple of streets over, Seth saw Chaney halt and he did the same, sending a signal to the squad to do the same as well. Seth crouched down and made his way up next to Chaney to get a look and saw the jammer in the street, surrounded by squads of White Fang soldiers.

"They outnumber us badly. We can't take them on in a straight fight, I'll lose the rest of my team," Seth whispered to her.

"I understand that, give me a minute," Chaney whispered fiercely back. She looked over at her wrist and pushed a button on her bracelet, which then lit up a mini map. "According to this, there is a squad of Mistral soldiers in the building on the far side of the jammer," Chaney looked up towards the building.

Just as she looked up, smoke appeared from the building, and a rocket exploded nearby the jammer. "Squad, move to cover!" Seth ordered, pushing his way out from behind the corner that he and Chaney hid from. None of the White Fang soldiers noticed Seth's team since they were too distracted from the rocket fire. Seth could see more bullets being fired from the building, and watched as more White Fang soldiers fell.

"Chaney! Move up and take out that jammer, now!" Seth shouted behind him, and he watched as she ran by him. She ran up straight to the jammer and attached an explosive they had brought with them to the main panel. After planting the bomb, she ran back towards Seth and ducked behind cover just as she detonated the explosive. Just like magic, the radios came alive with chatter from all over the city.

Chaney pulled out her radio and tried to dial in Mistral Command while Seth's squad and the Mistral squad in the far building finished off the White Fang soldiers. "Mistral Command, do you read me? Dad, are you there?" Chaney called through the microphone. Her questions were met with silence.

"You don't think," Tom began as he came over next to Seth and Chaney.

"Mistral Command, do you read me? C'mon dad, I know you're there," Chaney continued to call.

"Tom, go get that squad in the far building and bring them over here, would you?" Seth asked, instead of ordered. Tom nodded his head and jogged over to the far building.

"Dad, please, you have to be there," Chaney began to plead.

"Chaney! Chaney! Oh, thank god you are alright. I see you've taken out the jammer," General Ashcroft's voice came on the radio.

"Yeah, dad, we made it," Chaney breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, uh, listen, Chaney. You need to get back here, ASAP," Ashcroft sounded different.

"Dad? What's wrong?" Chaney began to let fear back into her voice.

"White Fang has begun assaulting the outer defenses of Mistral Command. We won't last long here," Ashcroft replied.

"We're on our way! We'll bring all the help we can!" Chaney answered hurriedly.

"I know you will, honey. I'll see you when you get here," Ashcroft seemed to smile through his words for an unknown reason.

"C'mon, we have to go, NOW!" Chaney stood and tried to run back to Mistral Command when Seth grabbed her arm.

"Listen, Chaney, I want to help your dad as much as you do, but if we go there now, we won't be able to help at all! It's suicide!" Seth tried to get through to her.

"If we don't go now, we're going to lose Mistral Command, and my father!" Chaney pleaded, her eyes beginning to water.

"I know you want to help and save your dad, Chaney, but we need more help first! Use that mini-map of yours to find reinforcements along the way back, and then we can actually be of help to your father," Seth comforted.

"Okay… you're right," Chaney took a deep breath, the pulled out her mini-map bracelet. "It looks like if we took a direct path back to Command, we'll run into 4 more Mistral squads," Chaney reported.

"Couldn't we just send out an emergency message to all squads to report to Mistral Command?" Seth pointed out.

"That's no use. The comms are still janky, the only thing that changed by taking out that jammer is we can at least hear each other now, as well as direct radio transmissions. An all-call wouldn't get through, trust me I've been listening to their jumbled noises since we took down the jammer," Chaney replied.

"Alright, you're the expert I guess," Seth shrugged his shoulders. "Lead the way, Chaney." Chaney began bolting back to Mistral Command, with Seth's team and the Mistral team Tom retrieved having a hard time keeping up with her.

* * *

"Salutations, friends of Sam!" Penny said happily at the lunch table that Sam, Team RWBY, and Team JNPR always sat at.

"Hello, and who might you be?" Pyrrha asked nicely.

"My name is Penny! I'm Sam's new assistant," Penny smiled.

"New assistant?" Weiss turned questioningly over to look at Sam.

"It was Ironwood's idea, said she could be incredibly useful," Sam sighed, eating some of his food.

"I am, because I'm no ordinary girl," Penny smirked. "I'm a robot!"

"A…robot?" this time Sam was confused.

"Yep, I'm one of Ironwood's new projects!" Penny announced proudly.

"So what was Ironwood's purpose in creating you?" Blake asked gently.

"He wanted to see if he could make a robot who was equal in being both a machine and a human," Penny explained. "I'm supposed to be the first of a new species."

"So Ironwood will be making more robots like you?" Ren asked.

"That's the plan. I'm just a prototype, so we'll see what he does from here," Penny answered.

"So why did Ironwood assign you to Sam?" it was Ruby's turn to ask a question.

"To learn from him, both on and off the battlefield," Penny smiled again. "Ironwood told me lots of good things about you, Sam."

"Well, I guess you're working to save the world, so I could say lots of good things too," Jaune commented.

"I never thought we'd get to the point where the world would need saving, but he has a point," Yang added.

"We can talk about all that after the war is over, rather than now, since the world hasn't been saved yet," Sam rolled his eyes.

"I guess so. Hey, Ruby, why don't you guys show Penny around?" Sam offered.

"That would be incredible!" Penny nodded her agreement.

"Uh, sure. JNPR, you guys want to come with us?" Ruby asked.

"Sure, Ruby. Lead the way," Jaune stood from the table. Everyone else followed him, except for Weiss and Sam, who were left alone at the table.

"You know, Jaune has a point. The world needs saving, Sam, and right now you're the only person who could save it," Weiss laid her head on Sam's shoulder.

"I guess you're right," Sam put his arm around Weiss.

"Do…do you think you can? Save the world, I mean?" Weiss asked timidly, inner fears taking over.

"I think anyone can. It could be me, or it could be you, or any of your teammates. Right now, from the way things are set up, it's going to take a lot of sacrifices to save the world. I don't know how things will play out, but I'm certain that no matter what, we'll win," Sam replied.

"Are you trying to tell me you're going to get yourself killed out there?" Weiss lifted her head and stared at Sam, pouting.

"No, I'm not going to get myself killed. I just don't know if I'll be able to beat Cinder without being lost myself," Sam answered.

"What do you mean? She was child's play to you before," Weiss tilted her head.

"That was when I had lost my mother and father. My emotions were so far beyond explanation, my body reacted so fiercely that my power skyrocketed to godlike. It's not like I could replicate that," Sam sighed.

"What about when I was shot? There was a flash of that power there, Tom told me about that," Weiss mentioned.

"You're right, there was a brief flash there, but that power was nothing compared to what I did back when Summer Rose and my parents were killed," Sam answered.

"And you think that without that power, you could die in your battle with Cinder?" Weiss questioned.

"I don't know, Weiss. I've never faced her in my regular form, I've gone against her in that berserk form. For all I know, she could be incredibly strong and talented, and the only way I could beat her is to attain that form again," Sam replied.

"Maybe we could try to bring that emotion out again…?" Weiss offered.

"How?" It was Sam's turn to question.

"I don't know, but there might be a way. Regardless, it might be best for you to train, just so you feel more prepared," Weiss kissed Sam on the cheek.

"In my battle with Emerald and Mercury, I handled that pretty easily, but I could tell they were holding back most of their strength. I don't know, I just wish we knew what was going to happen so I'd stop freaking out," Sam kissed her lips.

"That would be cheating," Weiss stuck her tongue out at him.

"I guess so, but it would still be nice to know," Sam stood up.

"C'mon, let's go catch up with the rest of them. Who knows where Ruby ran them off to," Weiss laughed, walking with Sam out of the cafeteria.

* * *

"All units, push those White Fang squads back!" Seth called out over the radios as they reached Mistral Command. The building looked even worse than when they had first arrived, and they could tell it was swarming with White Fang soldiers.

"I'm going to find my father," Chaney told Seth as the Mistral forces began their counter attack.

"I'm going with you," Seth replied.

"Me too," Tom said from behind Seth.

"Alright, let's go," Chaney ran into the building. "The main hall is this way, come on!" The three of them ran through the corridors, meeting up with both White Fang and Mistral troops, sometimes having to turn around due to some parts of the building collapsed. Eventually, they reached the large door that they entered the main hall in before wide open, and could hear gunfire inside.

"Hurry, in here!" Chaney called, charging into the room. Several White Fang soldiers had pinned down the Mistral Command unit, so Seth, Chaney, and Tom charged in, unloading their weapons to assist their allies.

Eventually, all of the White Fang soldiers in the room were dead, and the remnants of the command unit went to close the doors to the main hall while Chaney, Seth, and Tom began to look for General Ashcroft.

"Dad! Where are you? Dad!" Chaney shouted, looking around the room.

"Mr. Ashcroft, are you there?" Seth yelled, searching just a couple of meters from Chaney.

Eventually, as the three lost hope of finding him, they heard a soft, pained voice. "Cha…ney…"

"Father!" Chaney cried, running to the source of the voice. Seth and Tom ran after her, and took a deep breath when they saw him. The general had suffered major wounds, three bullet wounds in the chest, as well as a bullet in his left shoulder, his upper right arm, and in both of his knees. "Dad, you're okay, we made it," Chaney cried desperately. "You're going to be okay!"

"I knew…you would…make it…sweetheart," Ashcroft struggled to say. "But…I'm not…going…to make it…"

"No! You're going to be fine," Chaney denied what her father said and fervently tended to his wounds.

"Listen to me…Chaney…" Ashcroft continued. "You have to…go on without me… Lead our people…through…this war…"

"No, you can, because you're going to live!" she continued to try to bandage her father.

"Chaney…look at me…"Ashcroft tried to bring his hand up to his daughter's face. "I'm so proud of you…"

"Dad, please, you're going to make it!" Chaney began to cry.

"You've become such a strong huntress…such a strong leader…I'm proud to be your father…" Ashcroft continued. "Go…live your dream…of saving the world…" Ashcroft's eyes began to close, and his body began to go limp.

"Dad, no! Dad, stay with me! You can't die, not now! Dad, please!" Chaney pressed her face into her father's chest, crying without ceasing. Seth came over and laid his arms around Chaney comfortingly, while Tom laid a hand on her shoulder. Jeff Ashcroft was dead.

 **AN: Here's another chapter for you guys! This one was pretty long, for me anyway, at about 3,500 words. Unless you guys say otherwise, they will continue to be ~3,000 words. At the same time, that can cause chapters to take longer to write. So, I may only have a new chapter written every 3-5 days. So, just a quick recap, Seth and his squad arrived at Mistral Command, Sam has a new friend, and we met Jeff Ashcroft and saw his demise. There is still a long way to go in the battle for Mistral, so don't you guys worry about that. Anyway, thank you guys so much for reading! If you don't mind giving me some feedback, leave a review and tell me if you liked it, and whatever constructive criticism/ ideas for the story you may have. Don't feel like posting a review? Send me a Private Message and we can talk there. Again, thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

The room was filled with silence, excluding the muffled sobs coming from Chaney. The rest of the command force came to lay a hand on Chaney or on Seth or Tom because there was not enough space. Eventually, gunfire from outside brought the command platoon to bring up their weapons and give the three some space.

"Chaney…" Seth tried to get her attention. Slowly, Chaney eventually went quiet, tears still streaming down her face. "Chaney, I'm sorry, but we have to go," Seth continued.

"Your people need you, Chaney. We have to take out those two other jammers," Tom joined in.

Both Seth and Tom got up to give Chaney some room to stand, which she did reluctantly. She turned around, her face a neutral stare as tears continued streaming down her cheeks. She said nothing, but nodded as she bent down to pick up her rifle. "We need to clear out the rest of the building," Seth suggested. Chaney still said nothing, walking towards the exit. Seth and Tom followed after her outside, shooting down any White Fang in their way.

Eventually, as Seth and Tom had been pinned down in the street outside Mistral Command, they lost sight of Chaney. "Chaney? Chaney, are you there?" Seth called on his radio. No response.

"Damn," Tom cursed as a bullet flew by his head. "There's no use, we can't push through these guys. We're stuck here."

"We have to take down those jammers," Seth pointed out, popping out of cover and taking a few shots before going back down.

"Seth, it's no use. We don't know where the rest of our team is, we've lost Chaney, and the head of all Mistral forces is now dead. We lost, bud," Tom sighed, lowering his rifle.

"Well, if I'm dying here, then I'm not going down without a fight," Seth stayed determined, continuing to fire on the enemy.

"I guess there's no other choice but to do that," Tom nodded his head, taking his own shots at the White Fang soldiers.

* * *

Sam looked on from his balcony down at the army he had started. The first batch of soldiers would finish their training within the next couple of days. The second would be done the same day. The third would be done the day after that. Satisfied with his work, he turned to see Penny standing in the doorframe.

"Greetings, sir! I thought it would be beneficial to have a conversation," Penny smiled.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Anything you want to know?" Sam leaned against the railing of the balcony.

"How is it that you came to Vale?" Penny began her questioning.

"Well, after the fall of Tethara, my parents, the king and queen, were outcasts. We wandered for an age, town to town, city to city. It was an incredibly lonely and dark time for my people, and my family. No matter where we went, we were met with hatred and general violence. Tetharans may have incredible strength, but ninety percent of the time we don't want to use it. So, we refused any fight that came to us and left that town. We spent several years in the wilderness until we came across Vale. There was one person, a teen who had just finished his huntsman training, that let us in and accepted us. I bet you could guess who that was."

"I was still a young child according to Tetharan ways, despite my age being around 80. We stayed with Ozpin for twenty years, and we had a pretty happy life. We got to meet other friends of his, and it seemed like life was going to be alright. Then…everything changed when Cinder reappeared. She and her two goons Emerald and Mercury killed my parents. I retaliated, beating them to within an inch of their life. To be honest, I thought I had killed them. Heh…guess I was wrong. But yeah, that's generally how I got here," Sam finished.

"Do you have any surviving family?" Penny asked.

"Well, my parents had told me the rest of my family was dead, but I could tell they were lying. A couple years before we ran into Ozpin, they told me I had one surviving sibling: a sister. They never told me her name, nor did they tell me where I could find her. But she's out there somewhere, I know that. She is alive and well, her power is most likely a secret held from the world," Sam sighed.

"Do you think you will know her when you see her?" Penny questioned further.

"To be honest, I have no clue, Penny. I want to meet her…have at least some family left in this world. When your people have been slaughtered…are still being slaughtered…the world feels rather lonely, don't you think?" Sam countered.

"Yes, it is. But with the friends you have, that must make things easier," Penny's smile faltered at Sam bringing up loneliness.

"They are your friends too, Penny. You aren't alone in this world," Sam comforted. "Besides, you said Ironwood was going to make you the first of a new species."

"I guess you are correct. I hope he makes more people like me soon," Penny stared off at the sunset.

"Anything else you want to know?" Sam offered as he straightened up.

"How do you do it? Despite the destruction of everything you once knew, you keep fighting. Everyone in your family is dead, aside from your sister. Yet somehow, you keep going. Why? How? It does not make any sense to me," Penny seemed incredibly confused.

"That's a good question, Penny. I guess the reason is that I know there is a lot of bad out there. I know that I can't change the past; that I can't bring my family and my old life back. I can, however, change what my future and what the future of this world looks like. Even when everything seems dark, when there seems to be no hope left in the world, there is always a light out there, somewhere. I know there is still a chance of my people's survival. I may not live to see the resettlement of Tethara, but I will give everything I have to ensure that this world has a good future, and that no one will have to suffer what I did to get here. I keep going because I'm not fighting for myself anymore, I'm fighting for everyone else out there. I'm fighting for Atlas, for Mistral, for Vacuo, for Vale, for Beacon, for Team JNPR, for Team RWBY, for Ironwood, for Ozpin, for Anselm, for Taiyang, for Qrow, for everyone. Cinder and the rest of the evils in this world have plagued over lives for too long, and I will fight to my dying breath to destroy that evil once and for all. That's why I keep going, because I know there is still evil to be stopped, people to be saved. The fact that those people may be able to live a life free from the evils of this world, knowing that I could be the one to give them that, that's how I keep going," Sam explained, walking towards the door back inside.

Penny remained speechless as he entered into his office, following behind him and heard Weiss inside, saying, "There you are! We've been looking all over for you! It's time for… Sam? Are you okay?"

Penny heard Sam say nothing, but just heard him give Weiss a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room. Not hearing Weiss follow him, Penny took this time to make her presence known. Weiss turned towards her, worry clear on her face. "Is Sam alright?" she asked, concern filling her tone.

"He's okay, just give him some time to think. In the meantime, I can explain what he and I spoke about," Penny offered, signaling to the chairs in Sam's office.

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea," Weiss nodded slowly, moving to the chairs.

While Penny explained what she and Sam had discussed, Sam walked over to Beacon's training facilities, and entered one of the simulation arenas. He set the difficulty to the highest level and began the sim. Even though Sam had mastered every simulation in Beacon on the hardest difficultly, it gave him time to go over his thoughts.

His mind wandered back to when Tethara had been invaded, to when they had been driven out, to when his parents died, and to when he was forced to say goodbye to Weiss. While going down memory lane, he felt a surge of emotions; sadness, depression, anger, hatred, terrified, lonely. As his emotions became strong, he felt electricity surging through his body. The sim had already been something he could complete subconsciously, but now it became ever easier. Sam moved faster, hit harder, and dodged easier. Eventually, his feelings spiked and he wiped out the rest of the simulation in one huge attack.

Breathing heavily, he could hear someone outside clapping. Confused, Sam turned to see Ozpin standing outside the door to the sim arena. "Very good, Mr. Engle, but please be careful. If you go any harder on these simulations you are going to bring the school down," Ozpin chuckled.

"Didn't expect to see you here, Oz," Sam scratched the back of his head as he walked out of the arena.

"Well, you weren't at dinner, nor were you in your office, so you had to be here," Ozpin sighed. "Any reason you're throwing yourself at simulations instead of eating?"

"Don't worry about it, Oz, I'm fine," Sam tried to push the subject away.

"It's your parents again, isn't it?" Ozpin asked knowingly.

"It's everything, sir. If Tetharans didn't exist, none of this pain would be here right now, and since I'm the prince of all Tetharans, I'm kind of responsible," Sam replied forcefully as Ozpin brought up his parents. "Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury wouldn't exist! There wouldn't be a war right now! Summer Rose would still be alive if it wasn't for me!"

"You know we don't blame you or your parents for that, right?" a voice called from a nearby corridor. Ozpin and Sam looked over to see Ruby standing the entrance.

"Ruby, I…" Sam started, but was cut off by Ruby.

"No, you've said enough. It's my turn now," Ruby started. "If it wasn't for you, Sam, Yang and I might never had been huntresses. Without you, Weiss would be dead and the Schnee corporation would be wiped out. Without you, Blake would still be in the White Fang, suffering until the day she died. If it wasn't for you, so many lives would be so much worse than they are right now. None of this evil is your fault, Sam. It never was, and it never will be."

"Ruby…" Sam was speechless.

"She's right, Sam," another voice appeared behind Ruby. Yang walked out into the room beside her sister. "Without your family, our family might not have gotten very far."

"Ruby…Yang… You are right. I guess I just miss my family, and it led to this…" Sam looked down.

"We can't bring them back, but you are part of our family now," another voice appeared, and Blake walked into the room as well.

"Yeah! We're all one big family now!" Nora called as Team JNPR entered the room as well.

"Sam…" one final voice said from behind Sam and Ozpin. They turned and saw Weiss and Penny standing there. "Everything you told Penny is true, except for the part where you can't be saved or be part of this too. We are a family, and we will do everything together as a family, even if it is saving the world from evil. You can't do it by yourself, you admitted that already," Weiss began.

"You have touched the lives of every person in here, at least a little bit. You saved the city from certain destruction, you saved my teammates from the grasp of the White Fang, and you will lead us through the war that will end the struggle that started over 100 years ago. If your parents could see you now, I know they are proud of you. You can do this, Sam. WE can do this, together," Weiss held out her hand. Sam walked up to her and took it with his own.

"Together," Sam breathed.

"Group hug!" Nora yelled, jumping to Weiss and Sam and pulling them together in a tight embrace. The rest of Team RWBY and JNPR followed, after having a quick laugh at Nora's antics. Ozpin stood and watched as Penny slowly moved herself towards the group hug, and Ruby's arm lashed out and grabbed Penny, bring her into the mass of people.

Eventually, everyone backed off from the hug and everyone looked at each other happily. "C'mon Sam, we saved you some dinner," Ruby told him, leading the way out of the training room. Sam nodded and followed after her, with the rest of the gang following behind.

* * *

The sun was setting as Seth and Tom continued to fight wave after wave of White Fang soldiers. The two of them had begun to lose hope, not seeing any friendly soldiers for several hours now. "Come on! They can't keep this up forever!" Seth shouted, taking more shots and increasing his kills up to the quadruple digits.

"Yeah, I know! They have to be getting close to breaking now!" Tom answered, continuing his fire as well.

Just as Seth's clip emptied, he slid it out and looked for another to replace it, only to find he was now out of ammunition. Panic slowly went across Seth mind, and he decided to ask Tom if he had any. "Tom, I'm out of ammo! You have any?" Seth called over to him.

"Damn!" Tom cursed, throwing away another empty clip. "I just ran out!"

Seth realized this would be the end, with no ammunition and no reinforcements, they had lost. _So…this is how my story comes to a close…_ Seth thought to himself, relaxing and looking around at his surroundings behind cover. He felt time begin to slow, and he could hear bullets flying over his head. He looked up to the sky and closed his eyes, letting his life replay in his mind several times. He could hear White Fang soldiers approaching, so he opened his eyes and prepared his knife for a final stand.

But when he stood up, he was met with friendly Mistral forces. Seth looked on in confusion, and saw Mistral airships flying overhead. "Sir, are you Sergeant Seth Gates?" the commanding officer asked.

"Yes…that's me," Seth nodded his head slowly, unable to comprehend what was going on.

"Ms. Ashcroft managed to destroy the remaining jammers, and she would like to speak with you and your friend, Tom," the officer reported.

"She got the jammers down…?" Tom asked as he walked up to the Mistral soldiers.

"That's right. According to Ms. Ashcroft, she thought you had kept up with her, only to find you were nowhere to be found at the first jammer. She, of course, assumed the worst and thought you were dead. Regardless, she sent us out as a search party and found you fighting the remaining White Fang forces in Mistral. You boys held out for nearly 9 hours," the officer praised.

"I guess you lose track of time when you're pinned down with nowhere to go," Seth shrugged and looked over at Tom.

"If you men will come with us, we can take you to Ms. Ashcroft," the officer pointed to an airship that just landed in the clearing.

"Yes, that would be very good," Seth replied, glad to be free of the hell he and Tom had just been through. Together, they boarded the airship and traveled a little ways to the new Mistral Command Center, where it seemed several Mistral forces had survived the encounter.

"I guess we didn't lose after all," Tom commented, looking out over the surviving soldier.

"I guess so," Seth replied, walking out of the airship as it landed to go speak with Chaney Ashcroft.

 **AN: So there is chapter 3! The Battle for Mistral continues, and we get some more backstory on Sam and cute little moments. I've been listening to a lot of emotional/inspirational music lately, and that little portion about Sam came from that. You know, it gets you thinking. How much of an impact have you made on others lives? Over my short life, I've noticed people are very weird. But that makes us who we are. Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading! If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please leave a review or send me a Private Message(PM) so we can address that there. I love talking with you guys, so I love to hear what you have to say! Again, thank you guys for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 4

The trip through the new Mistral Command was an eerily silent one, with the only sounds coming from muffled radios or cries from the medical centers. Seth couldn't help but look over at the wounded, and immediately turned from what he saw. "I'm think I'm gonna throw up…" Seth muttered as they continued to walk.

While they continued throughout the base, squads parted so that they could pass, each of the soldiers saluting them. Seth and Tom looked at each other confused, but continued walking. They noticed as they were walking that some people would stop and stare at them as they passed. Tom moved closer to Seth and whispered, "Why are they all staring at us?"

"I don't know, bud. Let's just get to Chaney," Seth whispered back.

Eventually, they reached a large door, similar to the one from the other Mistral Command. Guards at the door, upon seeing Seth and Tom, opened the doors for them. As they entered, every soldier in the room was facing the entrance, and one of the officers called out, "Sergeant on deck!" Every soldier popped to attention and saluted the two soldiers, leaving them a path through the room.

Not knowing what else to do, Seth and Tom made their way through the path the soldiers marked for them and saw just at the end of the path Chaney. She was not looking at them at first, but as she heard their footsteps, she looked up, shock in her expression.

As they got closer to Chaney, Seth was startled when she ran and jumped at him, giving him a big hug. Softly, Seth could tell she was beginning to cry again. Seth folded his arms around her, rubbing her back to try and calm her down. Eventually, she broke the hug with Seth and turned to give Tom one as well. She had begun to cry much more audibly while the rest of the room began to go back to their duties.

"I…I can't believe you two are still alive," Chaney managed to say through tears, trying to wipe them away.

"Of course we're still alive. You didn't think you could get rid of us that easily, did you?" Seth tried to joke, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, after a day like today, you come to expect the worst," Chaney pointed out, sadly.

"The important thing is that we are alive and Mistral lives to see another day, right?" Tom tried to cheer her up.

"Yes, I suppose so," Chaney managed to successfully wipe away her tears and compose herself. "I'm afraid there is more yet to do, though."

"Just tell us where we need to be, and we'll do it," Seth promised.

"All I need you to do, sergeant, is stay alive and contact your commander in Vale. I've already contacted the rest of Mistral's forces, but as you saw on your journey in here, we have suffered heavy casualties," Chaney informed him.

"Don't worry, ma'am. We don't die easily," Tom patted her shoulder.

"Thank goodness for that," Chaney smiled for what seemed to be the first time that day. "Go contact your commander, I've had the boys prepare a place for you to rest. If you need me, I'll be in the war room on the far side of the command hall."

"Yes, ma'am," Seth and Tom saluted her. Chaney stifled a giggle, and walked towards the war room. A few soldiers walked up after Chaney had left, leading Seth and Tom to their quarters. Sighing, Seth plopped down on one of the cots there and let his eyes close for a minute. Tom sat down on the other cot, finally feeling relaxed.

"So what now?" Tom asked Seth before he could fall asleep.

"I guess we call Sam, get Valean reinforcements, win the war here, and go home," Seth replied, not opening his eyes.

"Do you think any of our squad made it?" Tom asked more softly.

"If they did, Chaney or one of her soldiers would have told us by now," Seth sighed, opening his eyes finally.

"So, now you've lost two squad in their entirety," Tom joked darkly.

"No, only one. I've still got you around to bug me all the time," Seth chuckled.

"It's what I do best," Tom smiled, laying down on the cot.

Seth wished he could lay there for the rest of his life, but he knew that he needed to contact Sam and tell him what was going on. Reluctantly, he pulled out his radio and opened a comm link with Sam.

* * *

"Commander, do you read?" a voice called out on Sam's radio. He sat up from his bed violently, the voice startling him from his sleep. Next to him, Weiss stirred, raising up to meet Sam.

"Are you okay? Was it another nightmare?" Weiss asked, her voice filled with concern, even though she was clearly tired.

"I thought I…" Sam began when the radio sounded out again. Quickly, Sam rushed out of bed and picked the radio up from his dresser. "Seth, is that you!?"

"You're damn right it's me. Listen, the situation over here is kind of bad, but getting better. We're going to need back up, badly. The Mistral boys put up one hell of a fight, but they've taken heavy casualties," Seth reported.

"What of your squad?" Sam asked, though he was excited, he was still drowsy.

"Only me and Tom made it, sir. Our ship crash-landed, and we were helped out by a huntress named Chaney Ashcroft. Turns out the White Fang had set up communication jammers throughout Mistral, and we needed to take them out. We lost the rest of my squad taking out the first jammer and trying to save Mistral Command," Seth replied.

"I see…I see that you succeeded in saving Mistral Command, though," Sam said optimistically.

"No, sir, Mistral Command was lost. We're radioing from New Mistral Command," Seth corrected.

"I…I see," Sam answered. "I'll send my reinforcements at dawn. Just do me a favor and don't get yourself killed."

"Funny, you were the second person to tell me that today," Seth said over radio before it cut off.

"Well, that's good to hear that things are getting under control in Mistral," Weiss pointed out.

"Yeah…I just hope they can keep it that way until reinforcements arrive," Sam replied, getting back into bed.

"I'm sure they will," Weiss cuddled back up next to Sam. Sam smiled and kissed the top of Weiss's head and rubbed her back until they both fell asleep again.

* * *

"C'mon, Tom, let's go report this to Chaney," Seth stood up slowly, stretching.

"Right, lead the way," Tom motioned out of the room.

They walked back into the main command center and saw Chaney and a few other high ranking officers standing with her in what Seth assumed was the war room. Trying not to interrupt, they walked up quietly and waited until Chaney was done addressing the officers before entering. Unfortunately, that failed as Chaney saw them approach and called out to them to come in.

"My commander will be sending his army at dawn, ma'am," Seth reported, bowing his head to the other officers in the room.

"I see. I'm sorry, Seth, but we may need you right now. I hope you will be able to catch up on rest later," Chaney shared a sympathetic glance to the two Valean soldiers.

"Don't worry about us, ma'am. Just tell us what you need done and we can do it," Seth and Tom saluted her.

"Thank you, you two. I appreciate your help very much," Chaney smiled at the two.

"The White Fang forces are preparing a counterattack on the eastern flank of the city. The boys over there can hold their own for a period of time, but if we are to last until dawn, they will need reinforcements. Take a couple of platoons with you and help secure the eastern flank," one of the officers ordered.

"It will be done, sir," Seth saluted, turning to leave the room.

"Seth, wait," Chaney called as he and Tom were about to leave. "The rest of you are dismissed. Seth, Tom, come back for a moment." The other officers looked at each in confusion, but followed orders and left the war room, leaving Seth, Tom, and Chaney alone. "I wanted to say I'm sorry, as well as thank you," Chaney began.

"Sorry? For what?" Seth tilted his head in confusion.

"For leaving you two behind earlier, as well as the fate of your squad. If I had handled things better, they would be alive," Chaney had a somber look on her face.

"With all due respect, ma'am , there was nothing else we could have done. If we didn't get there when we did, all of Mistral would have been lost," Tom pointed out.

"Maybe so. Nevertheless, I wanted to thank you for all that you've done so far. You helped destroy the communication jammers, and helped my people live to fight another day," Chaney brightened up a little.

"Well, we only helped take down one. You took out the other two," Seth commented.

"But at the same time, White Fang soldiers concentrated their fire on your position. While they were distracted with you, I had enough time to destroy the other jammers," Chaney replied. "And…I wanted to thank you for being there for me when my father died."

"Cha-" Seth was cut off.

"Don't mention it. It's in the past now. All we can do is move forward. I just wanted to tell you that before you left," Chaney told them, turning away from them. "Now go, I will see you when you get back."

"Yes ma'am," Seth and Tom saluted, leaving the room reluctantly.

The officer that gave them the orders walked up to them after they had left the war room, pointing them in the direction they would find the platoons for their mission. Seth gave his thanks, and they began their march to the eastern flank.

* * *

Sam awoke again, though this time it wasn't due to the radio. He wiped sweat from his forehead and tried to lay back down before he woke Weiss up again. Unfortunately for him, she was already sitting up next to him again.

"Let me guess, this time was the nightmares," Weiss comforted, pulling Sam into a hug.

"I don't understand why the just keep coming back…It's not like it's a new nightmare, it's just the same ones over and over," Sam replied, hugging Weiss back.

"Well, if sleep isn't helping, maybe we should just get up now," Weiss pulled away, moving to stand up and get dressed.

"No, Weiss, go back to sleep. I'll…" Weiss cut Sam off.

"You'll be okay? Sam, you've told me that so many times these past couple of nights. Stop trying to shut me out and let me help you, dammit," Weiss scolded, trying to find clothing to cover her naked body. Sam and Weiss had become rather comfortable with one another, and usually slept without clothing.

"Fine," Sam sighed, standing up to find some clothes as well. The two of them entered the living room, starting a fire in Sam's gas fireplace to provide some light.

"Now, what happened this time?" Weiss asked as she sat down on the couch.

"I saw Beacon...and Vale. They were both…burning. I could hear screams as vividly as if were actually happening. I think my mind is putting the destruction of Tethara and my fears of losing the war together," Sam replied.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Weiss asked. "Maybe, give you something else to dream about…?" she added, more suggestively.

"I don't know," Sam let out a soft chuckle. "And what is left to dream about? Nothings left for the imagination," Sam winked.

"I get it, so no more sleep with each other naked , or sex," Weiss crossed her arms.

"You know that's not what I meant!" Sam lightly pushed Weiss's shoulder. "I just don't know what to do differently. I might not even sleep well again until after everything is over," Sam looked to the ground.

"If you keep thinking like that, of course you won't sleep well. Listen Sam, things may seem bad with war coming all around us, but you've already got the enemy beaten. You've beaten Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder. You have went up against the White Fang with few reinforcements and came away without a scratch. Mistral may have suffered many casualties, but that wasn't your fault. As a matter of fact, if you hadn't sent Seth and his squad, Mistral would have been lost and we would have had no clue what happened. Just wait, later today when your army goes to Mistral and wipes out the White Fang forces there, this war is one giant step closer to being won," Weiss reassured him.

"Maybe. I just don't understand why they haven't begun attacking our borders yet," Sam continued looking to the ground.

"Isn't a good thing they haven't yet? That means we have more time," Weiss was confused.

"Why would Cinder allow me, maybe the only person who could beat her, give me time to prepare an army that could wipe out her entire force?" Sam looked up at Weiss with a neutral stare.

"I…I don't know," Weiss answered honestly.

"This must be a trap, there is no other explanation," Sam looked back to the ground.

"Wait, she could just be waiting for you to make the first move. It may be a trap, but only if we try striking at her first," Weiss mentioned, trying to cheer Sam up again.

"That could be it. I just don't feel safe sending my fresh army to go help Mistral when we could be attacked any minute," Sam admitted.

"Well, you can't just leave Mistral to be destroyed either," Weiss countered.

"I know, Weiss, I know," Sam sighed and put his head into his hands.

"Sam, lead your force into battle. Ozpin can lead everyone here, don't worry about us," Weiss placed a hand on his shoulder.

"But I can't leave!" Sam looked up in surprise.

"Then who will lead the army you send to Mistral?" Weiss asked.

"I…I guess I don't know…" Sam looked back to the ground.

"Like I said, Sam, we will be fine. Mistral, Seth, Tom, they need you and your strength over there. We can hold the fort here," Weiss smiled.

"What happened to doing things as a family?" Sam chuckled darkly.

"Well, Seth and Tom are a part of our family, and they need your help. But like you said, if we all leave, Vale will be defenseless. Just do it, Sam," Weiss urged Sam.

"I guess I don't have any choice," Sam said, looking out the window. He could see the sky slowly beginning to turn purple, signifying the sun rising. "I need to go get my forces ready."

"Don't worry, I'll tell Ozpin everything. Now go," Weiss shooed him out of the room.

* * *

Seth and Tom ducked as more bullets came flying by from the opposite street. "I got to give it to these boys, they don't know when to give up!" Seth told Tom as they began returning fire.

"You're damn right they don't!" Tom replied, replacing his empty clip. Several Mistral soldiers surrounded them, providing cover fire and pushing up next to the two.

"You know Tom, we might just make it," Seth pointed to the sky. Over the horizon, rays of red and golden sunlight began to shine.

"Seth, look!" Tom pointed higher up in the sky.

"My god…" Seth stared.

A massive fleet of airships bearing the Vale insignia came into view, headed by massive warships. "All Mistral forces, this is Commander Engle of the Valean Army. Help has arrived," Sam's voiced called out over radio. Several fighters came screeching past, shooting down squads of White Fang soldiers that had been pressing the eastern flank. All around Seth and Tom, the Mistral soldiers began yelling 'Ura', lifting their rifles to the skies.

"You know, I changed my mind," Seth looked over to Tom. "We're definitely going to make it."

 **AN: And the Battle for Mistral has taken another turn for the best for the good guys! While is still much to be done to make sure Mistral is safe, Sam's new Valean fleet might just be more than enough to guarantee a victory for them. But as Roman's forces continue there strikes against Mistral, as well as Mercury against Atlas and Emerald against Vacuo, where are Adam's armies? They have been surprisingly quiet as of late... I guess you guys will have to find out later. The War for Remnant continues! Thank you guys so much for reading, I appreciate it more than you guys will ever know. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please leave a review or send me a Private Message (PM) so we can talk more. Hope to hear from you guys! I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 5

Seth and Tom had managed to push their way into New Mistral Command as Sam's airship landed in a clearing within it. They could see Chaney walking towards the door of the ship as it opened automatically, revealing Sam and his squad. Seth and Tom ran up to stand beside Chaney as the two were introduced.

"You must be Commander Engle, yes?" Chaney asked politely, a kind smile on her face.

"You have me at a disadvantage, Miss…?" Sam asked for her name.

"Ashcroft. Chaney Ashcroft, leader of Mistral forces since my father's death," Chaney replied formally.

Sam nodded his head, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she looked very familiar. "Commander!" Seth called as he and Tom finally ran up to the ship.

"Seth, Tom! Thank goodness you guys made it," Sam ran over to shake both of their hands.

"They were of great help to me, Commander. We would not be here if it wasn't for them," Chaney thanked.

"We were just doing what was right, ma'am," Seth scratched the back of his head with a big smile.

"Right," Chaney smiled back. "Commander, if you do not mind, we require your assistance further. The enemy may have been beaten here, but they are still out there."

"Of course, ma'am. We'll be here as long as you need us," Sam bowed.

"Thank you, Sam. You too, Seth and Tom. Now, let's get to work," Chaney turned and walked to the war room, with the other three following her. As they entered the war room, several high ranking Vale and Mistral officers were waiting for them. Chaney pulled up a large electronic map and all of the officers gathered around it.

"Thanks to the Valean reinforcements, we no longer have to worry about our eastern flank. We have pushed the enemy west, and they are based in this small town here," Chaney lit it up on the map. "However, reinforcements are on their way from the north. They must be destroyed before they reach the town. Sam, I want your forces to destroy the reinforcements coming from the north. My troops will begin an all-out assault on the town. Any questions?" Chaney finished.

"Any idea who their commanding officer is? Cinder wouldn't just send them here without one of her inner circle," Sam asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know of this Cinder, but we have seen a man with orange hair and a white trench coat ordering enemy soldiers around," Chaney answered.

"Cinder is the leader of the White Fang army, and the man you just brought up is named Roman Torchwick," Sam replied. "If we're going to take Roman down, we need to ensure he has no possible way of escaping."

"I see. Admiral, get team SSSN on that. They are the best at sneaking around," Chaney showed a hint of a mischievous smile.

"Understood, my lady," the admiral saluted, turning to leave the room.

"Then if there is nothing else, you are dismissed. Happy hunting, fellas," Chaney turned and left the war room while the remaining officers gathered their supplies.

Sam still felt something bothering him, and he decided to ask Seth and Tom about it once everyone else had left. "Listen, guys, don't you think Ashcroft looks kind of familiar?" he asked the two.

"What do you mean?" Seth tilted his head in confusion.

"I'll admit it, I don't know why, but I feel like I've seen her, or someone like her, before," Tom admitted.

"Think, Seth. Doesn't she look similar to anyone we've seen? Anyone at all?" Sam tried to push him so he could help him think.

"No, but now that you mention it, she kind of does seem familiar," Seth answered.

"Why don't you ask her, Sam? We'll go get prepped with everyone else," Tom pulled on Seth's arm towards the barracks.

"Fine, I'll see you on the battlefield," Sam waved goodbye, then turned to follow after Chaney.

* * *

Chaney had been sitting on a cot in the far corner of the main command center, watching everything happen. Sam walked up to her and coughed, trying to get her attention. She jumped slightly and looked around scared, relaxing when she saw it was just Sam.

"Commander, what can I do for you?" Chaney smiled. She sounded exhausted.

"I was hoping you could clear things up with me," Sam pulled out his scroll and pulled up a picture of a woman with black hair and golden amber eyes. "Do you know this woman?"

"I'm afraid I don't," Chaney looked at the picture, confused. "Why do you ask?"

"Did you ever know your mother?" Sam answered Chaney with a question of his own.

"No, as far as I know my father was the only parent I had," Chaney replied. "Why, do you think she is my mother?"

"You two are quite similar in appearance. It wouldn't surprise me if she was," Sam responded, putting away his scroll.

"What is her name?" Chaney asked.

"It's not important, I will tell you later," Sam turned to leave.

"Sam, wait," Chaney reached out and grabbed his hand. Sam was shocked at the action, and turned around immediately. "It's important to me. My father never spoke about my mother, and if I know that woman's name it may help to understand why."

"Her name is Cinder. Cinder Fall, the leader of the White Fang," Sam sighed, sitting down next to the cot.

"I'm afraid that doesn't make any sense," Chaney looked at Sam, puzzled.

"You're right, it doesn't. That's why I'm trying to piece this together," Sam replied. "Cinder is a Tetharan, and a powerful one at that. She was the leader of the Tetharan Rebellion over 100 years ago."

"Then she couldn't be my mother, could she?" Chaney pointed out what she thought was obvious.

"But you had to have a mother to be born. Let me ask you, how old are you?" Sam questioned.

"15, I had my birthday a few months ago," Chaney answered meekly.

"Well, I guess it could make sense, but you would have Tetharan blood in you, and if you're only 15 then you would still be an infant," Sam thought aloud.

"You're looking too much into this, Sam. It's most likely just a coincidence that we looked similar. However, you do make a solid point that she may indeed be my mother. We may be able to talk about this after the battle is over. We could ask Roman about it if we capture him," Chaney offered as Sam stood again.

"Sounds good, Chaney. We'll be back soon, with Roman," Sam bowed, then turned to run towards the hangar bay area, where his army awaited launch.

* * *

Roman watched as his soldiers set up defenses and dug themselves in for the coming fight. A loud beeping noise coming from his pocket caused him to sigh and pull out his scroll. Looking to see who was calling, he answered quickly.

"Cinder, anything I can do for you?" Roman asked calmly.

"How are things going over there, Roman?" Cinder went straight to the point.

"Not very good, I'm afraid. It's that damn Engle boy again. Just when Mistral's armies had all but lost, a Valean transport comes out of nowhere. They took out our jammers and brought in a massive fleet. Long story short, my forces are beaten up badly," Roman reported.

"So Sam is in Mistral?" Cinder's eyes lit up.

"Yes, well, maybe. He probably isn't anymore, he's probably hunting down the last of my forces with Mistral's armies," Roman replied.

"I see. I will see if Adam can bring some of the heat off of you, alright?" Cinder asked.

"That would be a big help. It has been four on three while Adam has been sitting on the damn sideline doing who knows what," Roman replied bitterly.

"You know very well why Adam has held back his forces. Listen, if it looks like you are about to lose the battle there, retreat and return to me," Cinder ordered.

"And if I can't get away?" Roman asked.

"Then there will be little anyone can do to help you," Cinder replied sinisterly. "Just don't lose and you'll be fine."

"That's a helluva lot easier said than done," Roman yelled at Cinder before ending the call violently.

"Sir? What are our orders?" one officer came up to Roman and asked.

"Dig in your troops, and don't give up an inch to those Mistral scum. We have to hold out as long as we can," Roman turned away from his soldiers and entered the nearby building the used as a command post.

* * *

"Ozpin, sir, we have multiple contacts approaching our borders. If our scouts are right, this is Adam's army," one soldier of the Valean army reported to Ozpin.

"Understood. Bring all of our defensive systems online and prepare our forces for the upcoming battle," Ozpin ordered.

"Sir, yes sir," the soldier saluted, then left the room.

Ozpin stood from his desk and looked out a large window to observe Vale. _So…this is how it all starts. The beginning of the end, and Sam isn't even here to see it._ Ozpin smiled to himself, taking a sip from his mug. He reached for his scroll and enabled a loudspeaker that was in every room of Beacon Academy.

"Students of Beacon, throughout these dark times, you will be called upon to do what many students before you have only ever dreamed of in their nightmares. War is upon us, ladies and gentlemen. The world, each of the four kingdoms, they need you now more than ever. White Fang forces are beginning an assault on Vale's borders. We must be ready for when we need to be called on to fight. This war will not be easy, and there will be casualties. But if we are to win this war, then we are going to need each and every one of you. Teachers, students, staff, everyone. As the world reaches its darkest hour, it calls upon us and the other three kingdoms to save it from evil. We will not back down. We will not retreat. We will not be defeated. We shall push them back. We shall destroy every soldier that dares attempt to harm our loved one. We shall claim victory over this evil, once and for all. Be ready for the coming storm, Ozpin out," Ozpin turned off his scroll, and he could hear the students and staff beneath him cheer his words. He only hoped they would still be cheering when all was said and done.

* * *

"Over there, there's more of them!" Sam pointed to the north, seeing White Fang armor approach his team's position. A few rockets flew over Sam's head and he saw the vehicles light up in flames as they had been destroyed. He could hear his fellow soldiers raise their rifles and begin to yell victory. Sam would have joined them, but he needed to know that Mistral was handling the battle against Roman.

"This is Commander Engle, Team SSSN, report," Sam called through the radio. Sam could hear the sounds of struggle coming from the other end, but a voice finally appeared.

"This is Sun Wukong, leader of Team SSSN, we read you Commander," Sun responded.

"Do you have Roman?" Sam went straight to the point.

"Almost, we've got him on the run," Sun replied, and was cut off as the sounds of more struggle came over the radio.

"Sun, is everything alright? Sun, report!" Sam tried breaking through the static, but Sun's side had gone quiet.

After a few moments of silence, Sam could hear the radio being picked up. "Yeah, everything over here is good Commander. We got Roman," Sun reported, sounding out of breath.

"Understood. Bring him to Mistral Command," Sam ordered, signaling an airship to pick him up.

"Roger that," Sun said through the radio before it sounded like it had been dropped again. Sam shook his head and boarded the airship.

* * *

"Well, well, well…if it isn't the bastard Engle child. What can I do for you, sweetheart?" Roman asked bitterly.

"You are going to tell me Cinder's plans and answer every question I ask you truthfully, understood? Failure to do so will result in," Sam was cut off.

"In what, death? You need me for answers, but I'm not talking," Roman crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh, we will see about that," Sam gave Roman a look of pure hatred. "Let's start off with an easy one. Tell me about Cinder, everything you know," Sam pulled out his scroll and had begun recording the conversation and taking notes.

"She's a cold bitch. Killer, too. She honestly kind of freaks me out," Roman answered.

"Do you know about her family, or any relationships she has had?" Sam asked.

"Cinder never talked about family, so I just assumed she didn't have one. And she hasn't been in any relationship, ever. Kind of doesn't have the emotion you know as love," Roman replied.

"Did she ever talk about having a child? As in one she once had but has no longer?" Sam questioned further.

"Listen, kid, Cinder has no kids, she has no lover, and she has no family. It's why she can do what she can do," Roman shook his head.

"What is she planning?" Sam continued to question.

"What you already thought she was: World domination. She wants the world to answer to her, the last of the Tetharans," Roman rolled his eyes. "Surely you can't be that dumb, Sam."

"Where are Emerald, Mercury, and Adam?" Sam asked.

"Out on the battlefield somewhere. Listen, kid, I do organized crime, not military deployments. If you wanted to know about that then you should've captured Adam," Roman rolled his eyes again.

"Why have you been so cooperative in answering my questions?" Sam asked off the record, pure curiosity.

"Because I've seen what Cinder is capable of, and no matter what you do there is no way you will win. Cinder will rule the world, even if all that is left is ash," Roman stared through Sam. "Now I'm going to ask you a question."

"Sure, go ahead," Sam leaned back in the chair.

"Why were you so curious about Cinder's family life?" Roman leaned forward to put his cuffed hands on the table.

Chaney walked in, sitting next to Sam. "Because we believe she may be my mother," Chaney answered for Sam.

Roman actually looked genuinely shocked. "I can see why you would think that, you two look incredibly similar."

"So is she my mother or not?" Chaney asked forcefully.

"Listen, I've already told you, as far as I know she has never had a child, nor even had someone she had considered having a child with. She thought it was a weakness," Roman answered.

"I see. Thank you for your time, Roman," Sam stood along with Chaney.

"Yeah, yeah, like I had a choice," Roman scoffed.

"I guess Cinder might not be your mom after all," Sam sighed after they left the room. "I'm sorry, Chaney."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Sam. I'm kind of glad Cinder probably isn't my mother," Chaney looked off into the distance.

"Do you wish you knew your mother?" Sam asked softly.

"Yes, I do. But if I have to go on without knowing her, then I will be okay," Chaney promised, looking back at Sam. "Though I do have to ask, why were you so passionate about this? We've known each other for only a few hours, since you've been out battling. Why did you care so much?"

"Cinder and I have a long and painful history," Sam muttered.

"What do you mean?" Chaney tilted her head.

"She murdered my parents," Sam refused to meet Chaney's gaze.

"And since me and Cinder look alike…" Chaney put two and two together.

"I'm sorry, Chaney. It was wrong of me to do," Sam kept looking down.

"Listen, Sam, you haven't done anything wrong, and even if you had I would've understood," Chaney placed her hand on Sam's shoulder.

"I guess so," Sam looked up again. "And I'm just making sure, you weren't lying to me about your age, were you?"

"I didn't lie. I'm fifteen years old," Chaney answered.

"You don't turn into a huntress at age fifteen, Chaney," Sam stared at her.

"I don't know, maybe I'm just special," Chaney shrugged off Sam's comment. He took note of that.

"So what now?" Sam asked as they returned to the command center.

"There are still more of Roman's forces out there, so we have to destroy them before Mistral can be safe again. Though, I do think we can do that on our own now," Chaney replied.

"Are you sure? My fleet here can still provide…" Chaney cut Sam off.

"We will be fine, Sam. Thank you," Chaney walked up to him and gave him a hug to show her appreciation. Sam returned the hug, then they broke apart to say a final goodbye.

"I hope to see you again in the future, Chaney. Maybe when the rest of Roman's forces are destroyed, you can come give support to the front lines," Sam said as he began to walk towards his airship.

"Perhaps, Commander. I hope to see you again in the future as well," Chaney called after him. She could see Seth and Tom in the airship, waving their goodbyes to Chaney. She waved back, a small smile adorned on her face. Chaney looked up to see all of the Valean ships begin to take off, heading home after their first battle in the long war to come.

Chaney returned to her quarters, lying on her cot in peace, but she couldn't get her mind off of Sam and Cinder. _Is Cinder really my mom? Why do I seem to know her without ever meeting her? And why does Sam seem so intrigued by it? I think he was lying to me when he said it was because I looked like Cinder, but I don't know what else he could be thinking. And Sam is right, how did I become a huntress at age fifteen? I just remember while I was training that I was just already good at it. What is going on here?!_

 **AN: Good question, Chaney. What IS going on here? Well, the answer isn't as complex as you might think, but not as simple as you might think either. Here is another good question: What has happened in Vale? Another one: How have Vacuo and Atlas done in the war up until this point? These questions will receive their answers in good time, don't you worry. Thank you guys so much for reading up until this point. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please leave a review or send me a PM. I LOVE to hear your feedback! So again, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 6

_Things could be worse,_ Sam thought as his fleet returned to Vale. He could see fighting off in the distance, away from the city. "All fighter squadrons, help push the enemy back. The rest of us will be there shortly," Sam ordered through his comm. He saw several fighters flying off towards the fighting, and saw more explosions as the fighters bombed the enemy.

Sam, Seth, and Tom all boarded an airship and flew to Beacon, hoping to meet up with their friends. On arrival, Team RWBY, JNPR, and Ozpin came walking out of the front gate to welcome them back. Weiss ran up and gave Sam a hug, burying her face into his chest.

"I see that things went well in Mistral," Ozpin commented, watching the couple with a small smile.

"Things are getting better over there, yeah. We managed to capture Roman Torchwick, who was leading the White Fang over there," Sam kept up the hug with Weiss until she felt content enough to break it. That would take a lot of time.

"Yeah, when we crashed there, things looked really bad. Like, REALLY bad," Tom told them.

"Once we brought up communications though, things got easier. We managed to save the city and drive the White Fang out," Seth added.

"And while we were gone for a whole of maybe a day and a half, the White Fang decided to attack here," Sam looked over at the fighting.

"I'll be honest, I expected it to be a lot worse," Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "When Adam attacked, he seemed reserved. Attacks were spread thin and were easily broken before they could do anything. Yet he keeps throwing himself at us."

"Maybe he's just buying time," Sam continued to look at the fighting.

"You think so?" Jaune asked, watching the fight as well.

"What else would he be doing? He has no reason to hold back, unless someone is ordering him to," Sam pointed out. "He was perfectly willing to destroy Vale before, why be apprehensive about it now?"

"Do we attack? Push them back into Tetharan territory?" Ren asked.

"I don't know. It seems like anything we do could be a trap now," Sam sighed, still hugging Weiss.

"Maybe if we send a small, skilled task force in to push back the enemy, then we could see if it's a trap without the risk of losing an army, or worse," Ruby suggested.

"And who would you recommend we send, Rubes?" Yang crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, I mean, we all have experience fighting the White Fang, to some degree. Plus, mine and Yang's dad is out there, with my uncle! If we all go, we can push them back with ease!" Ruby got excited.

"While I like the plan Ruby, that leaves Vale without any of its leaders," Blake pointed out.

"Eh, me and Tom can stay here and keep an eye on things. We've fought enough these past few days, we could use a break on the sidelines," Seth told them, with Tom nodding his head.

"Yes, it may be good to do that. C'mon, no time to delay," Sam ushered them into the airship as Weiss finally broke the hug. Seth and Tom waved their goodbyes as the airship took off, heading for the battle site

* * *

"Come ON Tai, we can't just sit here while there is a war going on out there!" Qrow tried to push his brother-in-law.

"What's the point, Qrow? All we'll do is burden our allies, or get ourselves killed, or both," Taiyang had a depressed demeanor, which he had since Summer had died.

"Alright, Tai, that's enough! I refuse to stand on the sidelines any longer! I want to help you, I do. She was my sister, you know? But sitting here and blaming yourself isn't doing her any favors. So you could either sit on your ass and die alone, or you can come with me and fight the bastards off!" Qrow continued to push Taiyang.

A loud thud rang throughout the house as the door behind Qrow had been kicked down. "Dad, come on, we need your help," Yang walked into the room.

"Yang…is that you?" Tai's eyes went wide for a second.

"Yep, and I'm here too!" Ruby popped out from behind her sister. "We need you and Qrow to come help us! We're gonna go take down the White Fang."

"By…yourself?" Qrow sweatdropped.

"Of course not, silly. We have you two, and all of our friends outside!" Ruby said, gesturing towards the door. Tai and Qrow both walked to the entrance and saw Weiss, Blake, Team JNPR, Sam, and Ozpin standing there waiting for them.

"Come on, old friend, you are keeping us waited," Ozpin called to Qrow.

"Ozpin, buddy, is that you?! And…is that Sam!?" Qrow ran out to greet his friend from school and froze as he saw Sam.

"Sam…is here?" Taiyang's eyes went wide again. "Okay, I changed my mind. I'll come with you."

"Is he okay?" Ozpin asked in a low whisper.

"Are you kidding? This is the best he's been all year," Qrow replied quietly.

"Look out!" Ruby yelled as White Fang soldier appeared from farther down the street. Taiyang ran onto the road, staring the White Fang soldiers.

"THIS IS FOR SUMMER!" he screamed, pulling out his weapon and beating down every soldier in the squad.

"I guess that's how Yang learned her…direct…fighting style," Sam commented as they watched.

"Yep, he was one of the best," Yang added, before prepping Ember Celica and charging in after her father. Ruby pulled out Crescent Rose and put it in it's scythe form, following her sister.

"Like father like daughters, always rushing into battle without thinking first," Ozpin sighed, as the remainder of the group prepped their own weapons.

"Let's go kick some ass," Sam seemingly teleported over to the fighting, with the rest following after him.

* * *

"Finish them off," Chaney ordered her squad as the liberated another Mistral town.

Another team ran up to her, saluting. "My lady, that was the last of them," the commanding officer of the team reported.

"Good. Alert Command and bring in reinforcements to secure the location," Chaney ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" the soldiers turned towards their command post and ran off as quickly as they came. Chaney allowed herself to smirk, the first emotion she had shown on the battlefield all day. Things were looking they could finally get back to normal.

"I wonder how everyone else is holding up…" Chaney thought aloud, pulling out her radio.

"Vale, do you read? This is Chaney Ashcroft, please respond," Chaney said into the microphone.

"Chaney? Good to hear from you," Seth's voice came over the radio.

"How are things on the front lines?" Chaney asked.

"Well, Atlas and Vacuo are taking a heavy pounding, but everything on the Vale border seems almost too easy," Seth replied.

"Weird. Well, it looks like we're finishing up things on our end. We might be able to send troops in a couple of days," Chaney told him.

"Glad to hear! Don't worry about us, we can hold our own. Just take the time to be sure you're ready and we'll get everything sorted out, alright?" Seth asked politely.

"Of course. By the way, where is your Commander?" Chaney was curious.

"He took a small team to go and see why the attacks have been so small and reserved, so if it's a trap Vale will still be reinforced and safe," Seth answered.

"Isn't that dangerous for your Commander?" Chaney asked, worried.

"Well, I guess, but don't worry about it, Chaney. Sam could take on the whole of the White Fang if he really wanted to, he is incredibly strong. I'm sure he and his team will be fine," Seth shrugged off the question.

"If you say so," Chaney sighed. "Tell me when he gets back, okay?"

"Sure thing, Chaney. See you later," Seth said his goodbyes.

"See you later, Seth," Chaney said her own before putting up her radio. She could only hope that Seth was right and that Sam wasn't getting himself and his team killed.

* * *

After Sam and company had taken care of the nearby White Fang forces, they continued their journey deeper into enemy territory. "So, do you think Adam is up ahead?" Blake asked, uncertain.

"I don't know what we will find, but there has to be a reason they are holding back, and if they won't fight, I'll take it to them before they can take it to us," Sam continued walking forward.

"Sam, stop," Qrow ordered, with him and Taiyang stopping their movements. The others also stopped, but it was a little bit before Sam had stopped.

"What are you doing? We can't stop now," Sam asked in confusion.

"You know we are walking into a trap, right? We can't just risk everyone like this. These are just kids, Sam," Qrow reasoned, with Taiyang nodding his head in agreement.

"If we turn back now, all of this will be for nothing! The war will continue, more people will die, and this will all be pointless!" Sam argued fiercely.

"Think, Sam, won't Adam be doing what he is doing to draw us out? To lead us out here and attack us?" Taiyang joined the conversation.

"That's why I didn't bring an army, so Vale would still be safe," Sam was confused further.

"What I'm saying is that Vale might be safe, but none of us are out here! We're going to get ourselves killed out here, Sam, don't you get it?!" Taiyang smashed his fist into the ground.

"Then what are we supposed to do…? Go back to Vale and just hope this all goes away…? What you are asking me to do, I can't do," Sam looked to the ground. "I refuse to turn back now. If I walk into a trap, so be it. I do not fear Adam."

"He's right, we can't just run now," Blake defended. "We decided we would do things together, as a family. We all knew the dangers going into this, now you want to turn back?"

"Blake, Sam, I hate to say it, but Qrow and Taiyang have a point," Weiss's voice pierced through Sam's heart.

"But going back to Vale will do nothing but waste our time!" Blake took the place of Sam in the argument.

"Children, please," Ozpin cleared his throat. "Both sides have made their points. I think this would be better left as an individual choice. If you wish to press on, then go with Sam. If you wish to turn back, we will take you to Beacon."

No one moved. They didn't dare to move an inch. Blake eventually wandered over to stand next to Sam, while no one else joined them. "I…see…Very well. I…guess we will see you back at Beacon," Sam sighed, not meeting anyones gaze. Blake had second thoughts, but knew that they still needed to push forward. She turned her head back to her teammates, who had a pleading gaze, as if telling her not to go. Blake said nothing, and turned to follow Sam into the depths of enemy territory.

"Guys, we can't just leave them," Ruby tried to get the group to turn around and save Sam and Blake.

"They've already made up their minds, Rubes. We can't get them to turn back now," Yang hung her head.

"I can't believe you people!" Ruby screamed, making all of them stop. "Yang, Blake is your PARTNER, and you're leaving her to do this alone? Weiss, you and Sam are DATING. You LOVE each other, and you're going to leave him here to fight on his own?! JNPR, you have already followed Sam into a battle against the White Fang that seemed impossible, now you're turning your backs on him? Uncle Qrow, you and Dad taught me and Yang how to fight and stand up for ourselves, and now you're not going to fight, but run away?! Ozpin, you are our HEADMASTER, and you're leaving your commanding officer and one of your students out here alone?! How can you people do this to people you thought of as FAMILY!?"

"Ruby, that's enough," Taiyang's voice overpowered the young teen. "This is a trap, Sam knew that. He was going to lead you right into it! You can say you're going to do something as much as you want to, but actually BEING there changes things. If you tried to follow Sam, you would be killed. All of us would. Sure, maybe Sam could make it. He is Tetharan, after all. The rest of us could die out here, Ruby. Vale still needs us, everyone still needs us to fight and lead in this war! If we threw our lives away, we could throw the fate of the world away too."

Ruby said nothing, only lowered her head as she began to cry and barged past her friends as she ran back to Vale. "Rubes, wait!" Yang tried to grab her as she ran by, but her semblance kicked in and she was gone in a flash.

Qrow walked up to Yang and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "She will understand. Maybe not today, but she will. Just give her time," Qrow advised her. The rest of the trip was rather silent.

* * *

The trip with Sam and Blake was equally quiet, with neither one of them wanting to break the silence. But Sam could tell Blake was getting out of breath from all of the walking today and stopped, sitting in the grass next to a tree. Blake gave a grateful smile and sat down next to him.

"Why did you come with me, Blake?" Sam asked, not looking at her.

"Because Adam is up ahead, and I'm ready to face him again. I can't let him hurt anyone else anymore. He has to be stopped, and if you're going to take him down, I'm coming with you," Blake responded, looking at the sky. Nightfall was quickly approaching, and Blake could see hints of rain in the distance.

"I see. Thank you, Blake," Sam told her, still not meeting her gaze. She could tell that Sam was smiling, though.

"Everyone else was just scared, Sam. That's why they turned back, you know that, right?" Blake asked worriedly.

"I guess. If they want to be safe and comfortable back in Vale while someone else fights for them, fine," Sam said harshly, standing up again.

"Sam, stop!" Blake grabbed his hand and tried to pull him back onto the grass. Sam didn't budge, but he sat back down anyway. "They do care about you, Sam. That's why they acted the way they did. They were worried about you and what you might face when you go further."

"Do they care about me? Or themselves?" Sam faced her, a dark expression on his face. "Face it, Blake. People don't do things for each other in these circumstances, they care only for their own survival. That is why they ran, no other reason." Sam stood again, and Blake said nothing as she followed.

Surprisingly, they hadn't run into any White Fang as the sun vanished over the horizon. Sam scoped out the area and saw a village not far from them. "There, a village is over that way," Sam pointed off in the distance. Blake nodded and followed Sam as they made their way to the village.

* * *

Seth and Tom got up from their chairs when they saw the group returning. "Welcome back! We didn't expect to see you so soon. How did everything…" Seth trailed off as he saw their expressions. "What happened? Where is Sam?"

"He kept going. Blake went with him, but we turned back," Taiyang admitted.

"But why? I thought that you all were going to find the reason why Adam had been holding back together?" Seth questioned desperately.

"It's a trap, and if we continued we would just have been killed," Qrow walked past Seth and Tom.

"So you left Sam and Blake out there to die!?" Tom asked furiously.

"Sam was not going to back down, and Blake made her choice to follow him," Ozpin and Taiyang also walked past the two.

"Come on, guys…not you too," Seth looked at them helplessly.

"Have you seen my sister?" Yang avoided the gazes of the two soldiers. Weiss and Team JNPR followed after Qrow, Taiyang and Ozpin slowly.

"No, we haven't" Seth sighed.

"Okay. Thank you," Yang followed the others past the soldiers and into Beacon.

"What are we going to do? We have to help them!" Seth asked Tom helplessly.

"What can we do, go after him? The White Fang and our boys are still fighting out there, and there is no way we can get past enemy lines by ourselves," Tom stared at the battle continuing in the distance.

"But if we do nothing, they could DIE, Tom!" Seth continued, and Tom grabbed him by his jacket.

"I understand Seth! But there isn't anything we can do! I want to help them too, and I can tell they do too," Tom gestured towards Beacon, "but theres nothing we can do!"

Tom put Seth down, and he stared at the ground. Eventually, the turned towards Beacon and wandered inside.

* * *

"Do you see them?" Sam whispered to Blake, pointing out a patrol of White Fang soldiers. She nodded her head, and pulled out Gambol Shroud. "We need to take them out quietly, so we don't have to fight the entire village at once." Sam and Blake moved from their hiding spot to right behind the patrol, killing them quickly.

Sam turned and saw more White Fang patrolling the village. "It might be best just to keep out of sight altogether. Then, we can find Adam, and end this swiftly," Sam whispered, making his way over to one of the buildings. The two of them snuck quietly through each building, looking for clues as to where they could find Adam. Eventually, they reached the far side of town when they spotted Adam. He seemed to be walking away from the village with a few soldiers following after him. Sam and Blake watched them until they disappeared.

Sam looked at Blake, then moved to where Adam and his soldiers disappeared. They saw a large opening in the earth, dimly lit by torches. Without a word, they entered the cave and followed after Adam.

 **AN: Trouble has arisen in the family. But hey, every family has their own problems, don't they? What will become of Sam and Blake? Is Adam really preparing a trap? What is Adam planning? What will the rest of the gang do now? You people ask so many questions. Well, I guess you don't, and I'm just asking the questions anyway...but you get what I mean. Hope you guys enjoyed! Unfortunately, my break has come to an end, so chapters may not be as frequent. I hope you guys can be patient with me. Thank you guys so much for reading, and if you have any questions/comments/ concerns or anything else, please leave a review or send me a PM! I love hearing feedback from you guys! Anyways, thanks again, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 7

After traveling for a few minutes, Blake and Sam saw Adam and his men not too far ahead of them in the tunnel. They stopped to watch, wondering what they had planned. Soon, Adam and his men disappeared again, and Sam and Blake moved quickly to catch up with them. They saw the cave delved deeper underground, with more dim torches lighting the path. Sam looked around curiously. _This cave looks absolutely ancient. Why is Adam here?_ They continued to press on, and stopped when they reached a large opening.

They could hear Adam talking from the opening, so they stopped and eavesdropped on what he had to say. "Today, my fellow faunas, we unleash an ally that will destroy all of our enemies! One that no one has ever been able to defeat!" Adam called. Sam could hear snarls and roars coming from the cave. Taking a look in, he could see the red eyes of Grimm monsters.

"What is he thinking? They'll kill all of his men," Blake whispered as she saw them.

"I don't know," Sam replied honestly, listening to hear if Adam had continued.

"These creatures answer to me, and to me alone. They will only harm you if I command them to," Adam tried to ease the nerves in the room.

"Where the hell did he learn how to do that?" Sam asked quietly.

"Who knows, he is just as soulless as those monsters," Blake muttered.

"We shall unleash an army, destroying Vale, Vacuo, Atlas, and Mistral once and for all!" Adam raised a fist. The soldiers in the room cheered him.

"Sam, we can't let this continue," Blake urged.

"I know. Let's crash this party," Sam stood and entered the room. Blake followed him inside, and wondered what would come next as she felt hundreds of eyes turn and stare at her.

* * *

"Hey, Rubes," Yang greeted her sister softly as she entered Team RWBY's dorm room. Ruby didn't face her sister or acknowledge she said anything, merely laid there facing away from the door. "Listen, I know you're mad, but hear me out, okay?"

"Yeah, I was scared out there. I thought I could die, or worse, lose you. I didn't want anyone to die or suffer, so I thought running would be the best solution. But, then I thought about it some more. Blake and Sam are most likely about to face Adam Taurus, one of Blake's oldest friends turned enemies. Maybe…maybe things would be better if she dealt with him herself. I know Sam could survive anything, so I know she will be safe as well," Yang reasoned, trying to comfort her sister.

"But we are her friends…we are her teammates…and yet we still left her behind," Ruby responded. Yang could tell she had been crying for a while.

"Sam knows what he is doing, Ruby," Yang commented, sitting on her bed.

"Then why did we question him?" Ruby turned towards her sister. Her face was soaked in tears.

"Because we were scared, Ruby. We're…not ready for that yet," Yang replied honestly.

"What about Qrow and Taiyang? Or Ozpin?" Ruby questioned further.

"Our family has gone through enough loss to know that pain, Ruby, you know that. Dad…he has already lost two people in his life, and like it or not, he will be incredibly overprotective of us. Qrow will be too," Yang answered. "Ozpin most likely chose to turn back because he is the leader of Vale's forces when Sam isn't around. That and the fact he has a school to run and kids to protect."

"I just want to help them," Ruby kept crying. "We said we were a family, and now this happened."

"I know, Rubes, I want to help too," Yang stood up and went to hug her sister. "There's just nothing we can do right now."

Ruby nodded into Yang's shoulder as she continued to cry. A knock on the door brought the sisters out of their moment. "The door is unlocked," Yang called.

The door opened, revealing Tom. He looked concerned. "Hey, have you two seen Weiss?" he asked hurriedly.

"No, we haven't. Is something wrong?" Ruby wiped her face clean.

"We can't find her anywhere, so," Tom closed the door quickly.

"Well Rubes? Any idea we can find your partner?" Yang turned back towards her sister.

"Have you tried the roof?" Ruby tilted her head.

"The roof? No, not yet. You might want to come with us," Tom opened the door again and walked out swiftly.

"The roof?" Yang turned towards her sister.

"She goes up there from time to time when she is thinking or if she is worried about Sam. She had vanished before, so I went to go find her and saw her leaning against the railing on the roof, staring out over Vale," Ruby replied, jumping off of her bunk.

"Well, then it might be best if you go talk to her, Rubes. She is your partner, after all," Yang patted Ruby's shoulder.

"Yeah, let's go," Ruby walked towards the exit, with Yang following behind.

* * *

"I…must say…Sam…Blake…I was not expecting you to be here. But no matter what, I am afraid you are far too late to stop me. I have the Grimm and the White Fang under my control, and there is nothing you can do to stop me now," Adam called as they stood in the entrance.

"Well, the White Fang looks more like it's being run by Cinder, and you're going to have to explain the whole you having control over the Grimm," Sam called back.

"Do you know where we are, Sam?" Adam smiled darkly. Sam shook his head, and Adam laughed. "We are in the Origin Cave."

"Origin…Cave…?" Sam faintly said back.

"Thousands of years ago, this cave was home to hundreds of thousands of Grimm creatures. Their power was immense, and there was no way humans or faunas would ever manage to beat them. They tried again and again, with constant failure. We searched desperately for a way to fight, and discovered dust. While this may have helped, the war was far from over, since the Grimm were many in number and large in power. The war was long and costly, but humans and faunas drove the Grimm back into this cave, where we saw something incredible. It was a portal; a portal between our realm and the realm of the Grimm. When they reached the portal, hundreds of Grimm poured out from it, slaughtering the soldiers there. There must have been a way to close the portal, but they didn't know where to start."

"Eventually, they learned that Grimm drew their powers from pure darkness, so it must have something to do with the night. They realized there is only one thing that is unique about the night besides the darkness, and that was the moon. Back then, the moon was still whole, and they wondered if shattering the moon would shatter the portal. After countless failures, they eventually mounted a large dust strike that managed the break the moon apart, and then the portal just vanished," Adam explained.

"What does that have to do with you having control over the Grimm?" Blake asked impatiently.

"The Grimm are soulless monsters; they cannot have the true power that we possess in aura and semblances. So I began research…What if I was to give part of my soul to the Grimm?" Adam asked with a wicked smile.

"You aren't serious…?" Sam looked at him in disbelief.

"I came to this place, found where the portal had once been, and stood in it. What happened was something I never expected…Darkness surrounded me, and I felt like I was on fire. A searing pain raked across my chest, like a sword slashing through my abdomen. When I came to, Grimm creatures came towards me and they tried to speak with me, and I could understand them. They explained that my soul had become part of Grimm and now I had power to control them," Adam answered.

"That's a load of crap, Adam!" Blake pulled out her weapon and took aim at him.

"You only wish it was, my dear Blake," Adam replied in a sickly sweet tone. "I no longer fight for just the Faunas cause, I now fight for both Faunas and Grimm! I will make the moon whole again, bringing back the true strength and number of the Grimm creatures, and there is nothing you can do about it!"

Sam pulled out his weapon and stared menacingly at Adam, with Blake following his lead. Adam laughed hysterically, "You really think you can stop me…ME?! I am the MASTER of the Grimm, and leader of the White Fang! I am a DEITY now, and if you choose to fight me, I will make sure no one will ever know of your demise."

"We'll see about that," Sam smirked.

"White Fang, kill them!" Adam ordered with a flick of his wrist. Every soldier in the room raised their weapon and charged Sam and Blake, who both jumped into the air and began firing back into the mass of soldiers. Once they both found a place to land, they continued to slice through them, carving a path all the way back to Adam. The surviving soldiers ran out of the cave and back to the surface, scared of Sam, Blake, and Adam.

"Useless, those Faunas are…" Adam scoffed. "At least my new servants will prove to be more useful!" A buzzer sounded, and the Grimm in the room came charging at the duo. The two of them also charged towards the Grimm, and they clashed in the center of the room, sending shock waves throughout the cave.

While Sam and Blake were distracted with the Grimm, Adam began to sneak around them, looking for a time where they were weak to attack. Sam had just finished off his 7th Ursa, and stopped when he heard Blake scream. He turned to see Adam holding her up by her throat, with a deep wound in her side. The remaining Grimm backed off, forming a ring for Adam and Sam.

"Let her go, Adam!" Sam ordered, taking a step forward.

"You have caused me so much trouble, boy, you know that?" Adam didn't look at Sam, but kept his eyes on Blake. "You destroyed my encampment outside of Vale, stopped my taking of the Schnee train, and you even took my second in command here." He caressed Blake's cheek with his hand, and she flinched away from the contact. "But now, I have you both here, and I can kill you both for what you have caused."

"Adam! Let. Her. Go!" Sam said more fiercely.

Adam shifted his gaze to Sam instantly, giving him a cold, piercing look. "No, Engle, she will die here! You will die here! I will finally be free of you, and Cinder will pay me generously for your…!" Adam was cut off to the sound of something ripping flesh. Sam looked over to Blake, would had stabbed Gambol Shroud into his chest, right where his heart is.

"How…DARE you…" Adam began to shake, letting Blake go in the process. "I...WILL KILL YOU…I will dEsTrOy EvErYoNe yOu cArE fOr…"Adam fell onto one knee, clutching at his chest. Darkness began to surround him, and the creatures of Grimm behind him seemed like they were also in pain.

Sam ran over and picked up Blake, carrying her away from Adam. He felt the ground begin to shake, and he could see bits of the cave collapsing around them. "Sam, we need to leave," Blake told him. He nodded, picked up Gambol Shroud and gave it to Blake, and turned to leave when he was stopped.

"dOn'T tHiNk yOu'Re gEtTiNg aWaY tHaT eAsIlY!" Adam shouted towards the two. Sam turned around to see Adam floating, reaching towards the two. Sam gave a look to Blake, who nodded. He set her down and pulled out his weapon, looking back up at Adam. Adam was beginning to look more like a monster than his old faunas form, his arms and legs growing large and black, his hair turning into white spikes. Sam charged forward.

* * *

"Hey, Weiss," Ruby spoke up, with Weiss jumping a bit. She said nothing, and continued to look out over the railing at the fighting going on in the distance. "How long have you been up here?" Ruby asked.

Weiss still said nothing, making Ruby frown. Slowly, Ruby walked up next to Weiss and laid a comforting hand on her partner's shoulder. Weiss turned to face her, tear tracks covering her face. "It's going to be okay, Weiss," Ruby reassured.

"No…No it's not. Sam is out there, fighting Adam and his army by himself, with only Blake to help him, and I left him…" Weiss turned back to watching Vale and the fight beyond.

"Well, look at things this way, he wanted you to be safe, so being here means you're safe. I think he'd rather you be here than be dead," Ruby remarked.

"Didn't you see the way he looked at me when I tried to say we should turn back? He looked like a betrayed puppy. Even if he does come back, he won't want to see me," Weiss stared at the ground.

"Who said Sam wasn't coming back?" Ruby tilted her head.

"Regardless of who Sam is, or what he is, that mission was and is still suicide. There's no way he's going to make it back," Weiss shook her head.

"Well, if you wanna talk about suicide missions, I can tell you about a few," another voice called from behind the girls. They turned to see Seth standing not too far from them, walking to the other side of Weiss. "Back when the White Fang still had an outpost in the woods of Vale, Sam brought 70 soldiers to take on 300, give or take. Of course, we had some air support and some reinforcements behind us if we needed them, but that was our first real combat test. The ones who made it were lucky to still be alive."

"Then, when you, Blake, and Yang had been captured, me, Sam, and Team JNPR took on the entirety of the White Fang base at Mount Glenn to try and break you guys free. I don't know about you, but one Tetharan, a soldier, and 4 kids taking on an army? Sounds like a suicide mission to me. Then, the liberation of Mistral. Me and my friend Tom got pinned down by White Fang soldiers, and we had to hold out until reinforcements arrived. We didn't even know if help was coming, and we held position for 9 hours, and we made it out. It doesn't matter what has been put in front of us, we've gotten past it. I don't know how the guy does it, but he's coming back, and he loves you very much, Weiss," Seth finished.

Weiss wiped away the tears on her face, straightening up a little bit. "Thanks, Seth," she tried to smile.

"C'mon guys, let's go make sure there is a Vale left for Sam to come back to," Seth turned the entrance back into the building. Weiss looked at Ruby, confused, and Ruby just shrugged her shoulders. Together, they followed after Seth and met with the others, who were apparently en route to the city.

* * *

"TaKe ThIs!" Adam hurled claws towards Sam. He quickly dodged, jumping up from ledge to ledge in the cave to avoid the sharp objects. "qUiT rUnNiNg AwAy!" Adam screamed at him. Sam smirked, charging back down at Adam where he stabbed one side of his blade down into Adam's right shoulder.

"AAAAARGHHHH," Adam flailed until Sam flew off, hitting the far wall of the cavern. A cracking noise was made, and Sam fell to the floor of the cave, motionless.

"SAM!" Blake tried to stand up, but fell back onto the cold stone floor.

"oH hOw tHe MiGhTy FaLl…" Adam laughed distortedly, turning to face Blake. "NoW iTs YoUr TuRn…" Adam began walking towards her.

"Please, don't do this! Adam, STOP! Sam, HELP ME!" Blake screamed, frantically reaching for Gambol Shroud. Adam began reaching a hand for her when he let out a loud grunt of pain, retracting the hand. Blake saw Sam's weapon stabbing all of the way through Adam's abdomen, and he began to falter a bit.

"HoW dArE yOu LiTtLe BrAt!" Adam hollered in pain, reaching behind him to try and grab Sam. Sam pulled his weapon out of Adam, running up his back and striking at Adam's neck. After making a few blows, he went around to the front of Adam's body, and stabbed it all the way through the top of his chest. Adam yelled out in pain again as Sam put weight onto his weapon, causing the blade to tear down Adam's torso, ripping his chest open.

"ThAt'S iMpOsSiBlE! I aM a GoD…." Adam's red eyes began to fade away to black. Slowly, his body began to fade, and soon his Grimm form turned back into his faunas form. Adam stood there for a moment, then knelt down onto one knee. "How…dare…you…You come…into my cave…and try to foil my plans…?" Adam managed to force out. Sam had also collapsed onto the ground, exhausted and broken from the hit against the cave wall. "Well, you tried…but you…have failed…and now…I'm going…to kill…you…" Adam stood back up and almost lost his balance again. He took one step, and then another, until he began to walk more normally towards Sam's body. He bent over, picking up Sam's weapon, and brought the blade over Sam's chest. "Now die!" Adam screamed as he raised the blade to smash back down into Sam's body.

 **AN: Cliff Hanger! Don't hate me! It's been a little bit, with school picking back up, and writers block, its all very very burdening. But, Chapter 7 has finally been complete! I hope you guys enjoyed, and that you like my little explanation of why the moon is shattered and what not. Just kinda what made sense to me. Thank you guys for reading so far! If you have any questions/comments/concerns/criticisms/others, please leave a review or send me a PM. I will reply as soon as possible, and sense I check everyday, it will probably be pretty soon when you send it. Anyway, thanks for reading, and I will see you guys in the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 8

Ironwood looked up from his desk when he heard a knocking sound at his office door. "Come in!" Ironwood called to the person on the other side of the door. It was opened to reveal Anselm and Winter Schnee, who each bowed their heads and moved into the room.

"How goes the war, James?" Anselm asked politely.

"Very well. Enemy forces in the area don't stand a chance against the might of our armies," Ironwood smirked as he stood and looked out a window.

"What of the other nations, like Vale?" Winter questioned.

"Last I heard they were facing little opposition and things were fine in Vale. Mistral took heavy losses, but thanks to Vale, they are in the clear. Vacuo is taking some pretty big hits, but I'm sure they will be okay," Ironwood reported.

"And of my other daughter, Weiss?" Anselm looked at Ironwood blankly.

"Weiss is safe, don't worry Anselm," Ironwood gave a reassuring smile.

"It's only natural for me to worry, James," Anselm sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Anselm, do you mind if I speak with Winter alone?" Ironwood asked respectfully.

"Sure," Anselm gave a curious look, then turned to leave the room.

Once the door had been closed again, Ironwood looked to Winter and sat down at his desk again. "How is it? Living with Anselm?" Ironwood asked.

"He's beginning to understand that, even though I look like Weiss, she and I are two different people. It will take a while before he gets used to that, but I'm sure he will get it soon enough," Winter sighed as she sat down in a chair opposite Ironwood.

"Okay. Just let me know if you need anything, alright?" Ironwood gave a sympathetic glance.

"Of course, James," Winter rolled her eyes at him and got up to leave the room.

* * *

"So why are we going into Vale?" Ruby asked as they boarded the airship with the others.

"We're planning an offensive to push back the White Fang forces. This attack will also help relieve the pressure the other two kingdoms are facing, as we will spread out our attack range as we go," Ozpin answered.

"Is that the only reason?" Weiss asked knowingly.

"Well, no. We are going to get Sam back. I know he would disapprove of what we are doing, since Vale will be left somewhat leaderless, but risks must be taken in a war," Ozpin replied.

"Do you think Sam and Blake are okay?" Ruby looked from Qrow, to Taiyang, and back to Ozpin.

"Honestly, I have no clue. But, knowing Sam, I am sure they are both safe," Ozpin smiled reassuringly.

"Well, let's go and make sure they stay that way," Weiss turned away from the group and looked out of the airship, waiting for it to land.

* * *

"This isn't good," Cinder glared onto an electronic board displaying a map of Remnant. Mercury and Emerald were standing at the far side of the board, waiting patiently. "Roman has been defeated and captured, and we have now lost contact with Adam. You two have done well, but if we are to win this war, I must give you a new mission," she looked up and gave a cold stare. "Sam Engle must be eliminated. His friends must be eliminated. Beacon must be destroyed. Do you understand?"

Mercury and Emerald both nodded. "When do we move?" Mercury asked.

"Very soon. Vale's forces are mobilizing, and you must strike them as they attack whatever is left of Adam's forces. If you find Adam, bring him to me," Cinder ordered, turning to leave the room. Mercury and Emerald shared a glance before turning to leave as well.

A single gunshot rang throughout the cavern walls. Sam opened his eyes to see Adam collapse on his knees, dropping Sam's weapon onto the ground. He looked over and saw Blake holding one of Gambol Shroud's pistols and had it aimed at Adam's back.

Adam slowly began to laugh as he fell onto his back, his blood an eerie black with the Grimm being part of him. "Even…as a GOD…I couldn't stop you…I was…so close…" Adam struggled to breath. Blake managed to limp over to Sam and offered and hand to help him up. "But…I guess it doesn't matter…you…can't beat Cinder…she's too powerful…" Adam looked at the two and began laughing again, blood leaking out of the edge of his mouth. "Don't you dare think…this is the last…of me…I'll…come back… and when I do…I'll destroy…everything…" The light in Adam's eyes began to fade away, and as he died, his body slowly turned to dust and ash.

"It's…it's finally over…he's dead," Blake breathed out, still shocked after everything that had transpired.

"Yes, Blake, it's over. You don't have to be scared anymore," Sam struggled to say, leaning on Blake to support himself.

Blake looked at him helplessly, and quickly tried looking around the cavern for a place to rest. Together, the two limped over to a nearby wall and sat against it to catch their breath. "What are we supposed to do now? Adam's army is still outside this cave and neither one of us are fit to fight," Blake stared up in defeat.

"It's not over yet, Blake. We…still draw breath. As long as we live, there is always a chance," Sam reassured.

"If you say so," Blake muttered. "So what are we supposed to do?" she asked more clearly.

"We wait, catch our breath, pick ourselves back up, and get the hell out of here," Sam answered her.

"Sam, you can hardly walk, let alone fight an army of soldiers. They'll just finish what Adam started," Blake glanced at him with a look of deep concern.

"You would be surprised how Tetharan's heal, Blake," Sam gave her a soft smile.

"Oh really?" Blake tilted her head in confusion.

"Our bodies are constantly healing, working at accelerated rates to repair what has been broken. Sometimes, this works to our advantage, but in other cases Tetharans have broken bones and they healed too quickly in the wrong positions and had to be broken again. Not a great feeling," Sam joked.

"You just fought a demon with the power of Grimm and a soul, and you're still cracking jokes and being sarcastic?" Blake face palmed.

"If I ever stop joking or being sarcastic, then you know something is wrong with me. I will joke for as long as I live," Sam stuck his tongue out at her.

Blake laughed, and even though it hurt to do so, it felt good. Then, she had a somber expression on her face. "Do you think everyone else is okay?" she asked softly.

Sam chuckled darkly, but gave a confident smile to reassure her, "To be honest, we won't if they are until we get back, but at the same time I just know that they are safe," he told her.

"I'm kind of surprised they haven't come to look for us," Blake leaned back against the cold stone wall.

"Maybe they think we're dead, or just don't want to see me anymore," he looked to the ground, which brought Blake right back into an upright position.

"Why on Remnant would you say that?" she questioned fiercely. Sam flinched back from her words, and then relaxed again.

"You saw the way they acted on the way here. Their trust in me had all but vanished. Even Weiss…" his voice faded.

"Maybe…it was for the best. You know what they say; hindsight is 20-20. If they were here, rather than back at Vale, they could have died fighting Adam. Since they weren't here, and they were back defending Vale, everything ended up right," Blake offered encouragement.

"I don't know Blake. I guess I'm just tired of all this," he breathed out.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"All of my life, I have been in a constant battle. My home had been taken from me, and my family was forced into exile where we would wander from town to town, rejected and pushed away. My people…my family…I was forsaken. Left behind to rot. Just when things begin to look they are getting better, in comes Cinder Fall to bring it all back down again. I've just been used to losing everything in my life, so far, so it wouldn't really surprise me that in the end I was forsaken again," he answered her.

Blake did not really know what to say. She opened her mouth to counter, but could not find the right words. Eventually, she found her voice, saying, "Although that may be true, you've already said this isn't over yet. You are still alive. Everyone else, at least you have a feeling, are alive and safe. This all started over 100 years ago with the Tetharan Civil War, and now we finally have a chance to finish it. You are not going to lose us, any of us, and we will beat Cinder, once and for all."

Sam looked at her, slight shock in his expression, but it vanished as soon as it came. "I see, if you say so," he shrugged, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"So, when do we leave?" Blake asked.

"I might heal faster than other people, but it's still going to take a while. You might as well try and get comfortable, we might be here a bit," Sam replied with a sigh.

"We're in a cave, Sam. How the hell am I supposed to get comfortable?" Blake gave him an incredulous look.

"Hey, I said TRY!" Sam lightly pushed her shoulder, letting out a grunt of pain as he did so. Even though it seemed more painful than funny to him, Sam still laughed quietly through his injuries. Blake laughed too, leaning back along with Sam. Waves of exhaustion came over her out of nowhere, and she began to unconsciously lean her head our onto Sam's shoulder. Sam said nothing, more moved away and let Blake rest. He would wake her when it was time to leave.

* * *

"Salutations, friends of Sam! Welcome back to Vale! What can I do for you?" Penny greeted cheerfully, a large smile on her face. She had stayed behind when the group ventured into enemy territory so she could look over Vale in their place.

"Greetings, Penny. We are coming in to prepare an invasion force to assault the enemy line," Ozpin bowed his head towards her.

"An invasion force? That sounds exciting! However, did you all not go into enemy territory already? And, is this not what Sam did not want to happen?" Penny tilted her head in confusion.

"Yes, we all went out there together, but Sam and one of our friends, Blake, is still out there. We're going to go get them, while pushing the White Fang back," Ruby explained.

"Oh, I see!" Penny nodded her head to show her understanding. Her expression grew serious, and she turned to face Ozpin again, "I must warn you though, the enemy forces who have been assaulting Atlas and Vacuo are beginning to mobilize their force, and it looks like they are aiming at Vale," she informed him.

"I see, then we shall be sure to be careful," Ozpin bowed his head again, before wandering towards a large tent not too far away from the group where the Valean headquarters had been placed.

"Why did we even set up our headquarters in a tent anyway?" Yang asked.

"Maybe to give hope to the citizens of Vale, so they know they are safe from harm," Pyrrha offered.

"Well, the same could be said the other way. It could scare the public because they know danger could be coming," Ren pointed out.

Qrow shrugged his shoulders, and began following after Ozpin. "Who knows why we set this us, but you kids go get ready. Me, Ozpin, and Taiyang will sort all this out," Qrow called out behind him and Taiyang fell in behind him.

Team RWBY, JNPR, and Penny circled up and found a place out of the way so they could talk. "So, I guess this is it," Jaune breathed.

"Our first real battle," Ruby added.

"Well, technically not our first, since we've fought the White Fang before, but I guess since this is really tense and dramatic, we'll just say this is our first battle," Nora said quickly. Ren sighed, putting a hand on Nora's shoulder.

"Ruby, do you really think Sam and Blake are okay?" Weiss looked at her leader, a pleading look in her eyes.

Ruby hesitated, but knew she could not let herself get scared now. "They are both safe, I know they are," she told the group confidently.

"I agree! We shall push back these bad guys and bring them both back home safe!" Penny joined in.

"It's not going to be easy, though," Yang admitted. "You already told us that the White Fang attacking both Vacuo and Atlas are beginning to move this direction. With them, plus what we have in front of us, this is going to be a fight for our lives."

"Well, the forces in front of us haven't really been much of a problem. If we can meet the enemy as they are coming up to attack us, maybe we could throw them off and gain the upper hand," Weiss commented.

"We also have to remember, the White Fang have three Tetharans leading them. If I was a betting woman, I would say that at least one of them, if not more, will be in the forces coming at us from either Vacuo or Atlas," Pyrrha added.

"Tetharans are tough, but they aren't invincible. The combined strength of the four kingdoms was able to destroy the city of Tethara, so the strength in us should be enough to kill one Tetharan," Jaune countered.

"With all due respect, Jaune, Cinder and her two Tetharan goons killed both of Sam's parents, the king and queen of all Tetharans, and my mother. They also defeated Taiyang, Qrow, and Ozpin with ease. The only way we might be able to beat them is by separating them," Ruby replied.

"We can focus on defeating Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury once we've made sure Blake and Sam are safe," Weiss concluded the debate. "Once they are home, we can focus our attention of defeating them."

"She's right. We owe Sam a lot, so we can't fail him now," Jaune told the group. Everyone nodded their heads or grunted their agreement.

"Well, its good to see we are all on the same page about this," Ozpin's voice called from behind the group. Everyone turned to see him standing there with Taiyang and Qrow, who had both of their weapons in hand. "We begin our attack within the hour. As we launch our strike, both Vacuo and Atlas will begin launching their own attacks on enemy territory, forcing them back all the way to Tethara," Ozpin explained. "Come with us, we'll get you an airship." Everyone followed Ozpin to the edge of the city, where thousands of Valean soldiers stood waiting for their arrival.

* * *

Ironwood looked out from his balcony down upon his army. Thousands of human soldiers and robotic forces, airships and mechs, everything he could ever dream of. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a slight vibration coming from his pocket. He pulled out his scroll to see a message from Ozpin, and the message read, "The time is now. Begin the attack."

"All units, it is time! Bring the White Fang to its knees, and unleash the true power of Atlas!" Thousands of voices raised in battle cries, and the beginning of what seemed to be the end was upon them.

 **AN: And there is the end of Chapter 8! I hope you guys have been enjoying so far. I have literally heard nothing from you guys, so the only way I know you are enjoying this or want to see more is from views. I'm going to complete the story of course, but when I finish the story is up to you guys. If I know you guys really like the story, I'll do more to make sure I write lots and get chapters up faster. If I don't know you guys like the story, it might be a while before the next chapter is posted or so on. So please, if you enjoyed, let me know! I'm not like the FineBros, I like reactions! So thank you guys so much for reading! If you have any questions/comments/concerns/criticisms/encouragements/etc., please leave a review or send me a PM if you are uncomfortable leaving a review. I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 9

"Ma'am, hostile forces are pushing forwards to Tethara," one soldier ran up and reported to Cinder. A look of shock appeared on her face, only to vanish with her eyes glowing like fire.

"Get a hold of Mercury and Emerald, now," Cinder ordered. The soldier jumped at the sharpness of the order, but did as he was told. The soldier reappeared with a scroll that had Mercury and Emerald on the screen, patient expressions on their faces.

"What is it now, Cinder?" Mercury asked, irritably.

"Vale and Atlesian forces are pushing towards Tethara, and Vacuo forces will be joining them soon. We need to distract them," Cinder answered.

"We could concentrate on Vacuo, wipe them out and force them to one side. That would leave Atlas and Vale practically defenseless," Emerald offered.

"At the same time, we could push around back to Mistral and get Roman back," Mercury commented.

"I'll will take care of Roman, you two just focus on Vacuo," Cinder ordered with a smirk and closed the call. A figure appeared before Cinder with pink and brown hair, carrying a light pink parasol. "You know what to do," Cinder smiled, turning to leave. The figure just smiled back, and nodded her head as she watched Cinder leave.

* * *

Sam could hear footsteps coming from the entrance to the cavern that he and Blake were in, and quickly nudged her awake. Blake let out a whimper of pain before Sam clamped his hand over her mouth. She gave Sam a questioning look before hearing the footsteps as well. Sam mouthed the words, "Stay here", before standing up and limping towards the entrance. Sam was unaware of how long they had been in there, but he knew it wasn't long enough for him to fully recover. Regardless, if it was an enemy coming towards them, he would fight with everything he had. He reached the entrance and began charging his electricity when someone jumped on him, kissing him repeatedly.

"Weiss? Is that really you?" Sam managed to grunt out, trying to pick both of them up.

"Yep, and she isn't alone," a familiar voice called from further out of the cavern. Sam looked to see Ruby, Yang, Ozpin, Taiyang, Qrow, Team JNPR, Penny and Chaney Ashcroft standing a little ways away from the pair. Weiss eventually let go and let Sam find his balance.

"What, you didn't think we wouldn't come looking for you, did you?" Weiss questioned menacingly, but with a few tears leaking out.

"Hey, where's Blake?" Yang asked before Sam could respond.

"I'm right here," Blake coughed as she leaned against the cavern wall to help her stand.

"Good heavens, what happened here?" Ozpin looked from the state of the cavern to the beaten up pair.

"It's…uh…kinda hard to explain," Sam gave a shaky smile and scratched the back of his head. "But all that matters is that we don't have to worry about Adam anymore."

"We might be closer to winning this war than we thought if the real leader of the White Fang is dead," Qrow mused.

"This war won't end until Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury are all dead," Sam's expression became serious.

"He's right. So, what do we do now?" Jaune asked.

"We keep doing what we were doing before: push to Tethara," Ozpin replied, turning to leave the cave after seeing Blake being helped out and Sam following behind Weiss.

"So who is left to defend Vale?" Sam glared at Ozpin.

"Seth and Tom said they would stay behind to watch over the place. Besides, Mr. Engle, you are an incredibly valuable person to us. If we lost you, the war would also be over," Ozpin answered. Sam opened his mouth to counter, but decided to hold his tongue. The walk out of the cave afterwards was relatively silent.

After they finally reached the exit, Sam could see several Valean soldiers within the town just outside of the cave that he and Blake had to sneak through. "How long did this take you, Oz?" Sam asked as his wounds began to ache less.

"Maybe 5 hours. It takes much more time to move an army than it takes to move a small squad," Ozpin pointed out.

"I see, and when did you come in, Chaney?" Sam turned to the Mistral commander.

"I arrived just as your forces began their assault. I managed to find Seth and he told me where I could find the people to find you," she replied with a soft smile.

"So how are things back in Mistral?" Ozpin took his turn asking questions.

"Things are finally all cleared up. With Roman captured, the rest of the White Fang ran with their tails between their legs, no pun intended," Chaney giggled.

"So now what?" Qrow spoke up.

"We need to get you two back to Vale," Ozpin said simply, waving in an airship.

"Oz, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine, really," Sam said confidently at first, before trying to take another step and almost losing his balance.

"You are not fine. You are coming back to Vale with me, where you will rest. Understood?" Weiss told him sternly.

"Alright, alright, I get it, I'll go rest," Sam put his hands up in defeat, graciously accepting help from Weiss and Chaney to get onto the airship. Blake was helped by Ruby and Yang, and Penny and Team JNPR followed.

"You hold the fort, alright Sam? We'll keep working out here!" Qrow called to the group as they left.

"Stay safe you guys!" Taiyang waved at the airship. Team RWBY and JNPR, Sam, Penny, and Chaney all waved back their goodbyes before the airship closed its bay doors and headed off for Vale.

"So, what happened to you two?" Ren was, surprisingly, the first to ask after things got quiet.

"Well, allow me to answer your question with a question. Have you guys ever heard of Origin Cave?" Sam looked from face to face in the group.

"Oh, yeah! Professor Port talked about it in one of his stories, but everyone doesn't usually pay attention to them, but I love them so I listen all the time, and they are really great, but yeah I have!" Nora exclaimed excitedly.

"Would you like to explain it then, Nora?" Sam smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Well, I mean, I don't know anything, Port just kinda mentioned it, so…" Nora admitted.

"I can explain, if you wish," Penny spoke up for the first time. "I have all of its information in my databanks."

"Please do, Penny," Sam nodded his head in acceptance.

Penny explained the history of the Grimm, the significance and power of the Origin Cave, and how it came to be how it is today. "Okay, so that was Origin Cave. What does that have to do with anything?" Jaune asked.

"Grimm do not have souls, which is why their power, without connection to their home dimension, is weaker than ours. If a Grimm monster was able to harness the power of a soul, then they would become infinitely stronger," Sam explained. "This is what happened with Adam. He offered his soul to the Grimm who, of course, gladly accepted it. Adam became equally Faunas and Grimm. With that power, he could be considered a god. So we fought him, and in the end, we won."

"And just how did you manage that?" Weiss asked.

"It wasn't easy, that's certain. Adam was stabbed by Blake through his chest, and all of the Grimm creatures around us began to act up like they were in pain along with Adam. We thought that could be the time to get away, but Adam had begun floating up and absorbing the darkness around him. By the time he was finished, he was a huge Grimm monster with incredible power. We struck blows at each other for a while, and his attacks were taking a toll on me, so I had to eventually resort to just dodging. Eventually, I found a spot to strike at him and got his shoulder, but that only made him pissed. He tossed me around like a ragdoll before flinging me into the cavern wall. I can still feel the cracks in my bones from that collision," Sam began.

"After Sam fell," Blake took over, "I thought Adam might have killed him, and he immediately set his sights on me next. He began reaching his tentacle like fingers out to me, and then I hear him groan in pain and Sam's weapon jammed through his torso. Next thing I know, Sam pulls off this really sweet move and slashes right through Adam's chest, bringing him out of his Grimm form and back into his normal one. But that's when things got scary."

"I had used most of what was left of my energy in that attack, and had collapsed on the ground afterwards. Blake had already been down with the wound in her side, so there wasn't much she could do. Adam walked over to me, picked up Tetharan Fury, and placed a blade right over my chest to kill me. All I heard was a single gunshot, then the clanging of Tetharan Fury falling to the ground, and then I looked over to see Blake had raised up one of Gambol Shroud's pistols and shot Adam in the back," Sam finished.

"So, Blake was the one to save the day, huh?" Yang giggled.

"Something like that," Sam closed his eyes and smiled.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who fought the guy, without you I would be dead!" Blake pushed his shoulder.

"And if it wasn't for you, I would be dead right now," Sam said simply, not opening his eyes. "Do you guys see what I mean about saving the world now? Anyone can be the one to do it, but not alone."

Everyone went silent after that, thinking long on what Sam had to say. "Sure, you guys might not be able to do it without me, but without any of you, it still wouldn't be possible. Sure, one of us will do it: save the world. But how we get to that point, everyone is needed for that," Sam explained further. Everyone nodded their heads slowly and remained silent the rest of the flight to Vale.

* * *

A young woman followed by a few guards entered a large room, with a large electronic map surrounded by a few high ranking men and women. Everyone fell silent as the young woman entered the room, however. All eyes turned to face her, and eventually one of the higher ranking men saluted her, saying, "Chancellor Pierce, it's good to see you." Everyone followed him, saluting her as well. She lifted a hand to relieve them and walked over to the map.

"What is the status of our armies, generals?" she asked formally.

"The enemy attacks appear to have lightened up, but we are not backing off our pressure. It appears as if the enemy was making preparations to move east, possibly to strike at Vale," one of the generals responded.

"Have we sent any word to Vale of this possibility?" Pierce asked softly.

"No, Chancellor, we were uncertain and decided that we should remain focused on our own defenses," another general admitted guiltily.

The Chancellor sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We are in a time of war, a war of which the four kingdoms must be united to bring an end to it, and yet we betray the trust of another kingdom by not alerting them of possible invading forces? What if Vale was being eradicated right now because of it? Just because it may or may not be the case is irrelevant. The other kingdoms will have no reason to trust us if we do not inform them of things like this!" she shouted fiercely.

"Understood, ma'am. It…it won't happen again," the first general who spoke bowed his head.

"I will have to bring this before the Council," Pierce sighed again. "In the meantime, maintain our defenses and make sure nothing gets through."

"Yes, ma'am!" each general saluted her as she left.

* * *

Since the attack that almost destroyed Mistral, things had become peaceful again. The city had begun initiating repairs, the wounded were receiving proper medical attention, and life began to take steps to becoming normal again. When Roman Torchwick had been captured, he was taken to a small, isolated prison that specialized in impenetrable solitary confinement.

Every 4 hours, there would be a changing of the guard. The guards at the prison would be relieved of their shift, and the next set of guards would come in. It was on one such changing of the guard where everything took a turn for the worse. The prison only contained one prisoner, and of course that prisoner was Roman Torchwick.

One guard was leaning back in his chair, trying to take a nap, while another guard was gathering his belongings while looking at the clock. **7:56 AM**. Changing of the guard would begin in just four minutes. He shook the other guard awake, and turned to face the door when he felt something penetrate his side. He looked down and saw the tip of an umbrella stabbed into his gut, with large amounts of blood beginning to seep through his clothing. As soon as he opened his mouth to say something, he was sliced by a slash of his throat. The other guard gained his conscious just as the mystery figure ran her blade through the back of his neck, killing him instantly.

She took the blade out and admired her work before going to unlock the prison doors. Just as she got to the controls, however, she could her more voices from down the hallway coming closer. Quickly, she closed and locked the security office door so they wouldn't find the bodies or her yet, and began working on letting Roman out. The voices faded, and she unlocked Roman's cell and the security office at the same time and began making her way towards him. By the time she got to him, he had his cane and his hat back and flashed her a smile.

"Its good to see you, Neo."

* * *

"This meeting of the Council of Vacuo is now in session," Chancellor Kiara Pierce called as she sat down at a round table along with 14 other council members. "First we shall discuss matters important to the safety of our people, then move to reports covering our city's basic necessities. Anything to report of the state of the war, Council?"

"We have become concerned with the lack of communication with Atlas and Vale. We can understand Mistral's case, we received the report from Vale, but with the other two kingdoms, it doesn't make sense," once council member spoke up.

"I am unaware of any reasons of which we have not received communications from either of the two kingdoms…" Pierce was cut off by the sound of an alarm. "What's going on?" she asked, annoyed.

A few armed guards entered the room and begin moving the council members out. "We need to get you and the Council to safety, Chancellor," one of the guards said as he came over to escort her.

"What has happened?" she asked as they left the room.

"Primary defenses to the east have been overrun. The White Fang has begun to break through," he answered.

 _May God help us all…_

 **AN: And just as things seem to be going well, they hit another bump in the road. I did tell you guys this would be the longest Chronicles yet, so I couldn't just end it sometime soon. We have a long battle still to go, so strap in and be ready for the ride. Now, this wasn't exactly 3,000 words, and I'm sorry its not quite as long as the others, but I really wanted to get another chapter up soon. I think you guys would be a bit more content with a 2,000-2,500 word chapter every 2-3 days rather than a 3,000 word chapter every week or so. So I will try to make them 3,000 words, but if I can't, then I'm sure you guys will understand. Next stop on the War for Remnant: Vacuo! I read up on a Wiki that technically every kingdom is ruled by a Council, but in the actual show it just seemed like Ozpin had rule over Beacon and Vale, Ironwood over Atlas, so on. I thought it would be a good touch to include a council rule over a kingdom to add more diversity. Or whatever. I don't know. Anyway, thank you all so much for reading! If you have any questions/comments/concerns/encouragements/criticisms/etc., please leave a review or send me a PM if you are uncomfortable leaving a review. I look forward to hearing your opinions! I will see you guys in the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 10

When Sam and company had finally made it back to Beacon, they were met by Glynda Goodwitch, as well as a medical staff. The medics immediately went for Sam and Blake, pulling them onto stretchers to take back to the infirmary. The rest of the group followed, except for Chaney, who had her arm held back by Glynda. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, Chaney, but we've received a report that Roman escaped," Glynda said into Chaney's ear.

Chaney shot her a shocked expression, "How? When?"

"It was sent while you were on your way back from the front lines. He had help from this woman," Glynda showed her a picture of a small pink and brown haired woman, carrying a pink parasol. Chaney noticed the tip was covered with blood and winced slightly. "Do you recognize her?"

"No, I've never seen her before. Maybe Sam has," Chaney offered, looking back towards Beacon's infirmary.

"Possibly. Go and see how he is, I will be heading out into Vale to cover for Ozpin as the leader of the defense force," Glynda informed her, hopping aboard the airship they had just used to get back. Chaney nodded her head as the airship took off, then turned back towards Beacon before running at incredible speed towards the infirmary. Goodwitch took notice of this as they moved towards Vale. _Odd, maybe it's her semblance,_ she thought as she turned her attention towards her task at hand.

* * *

"You know, shorty, I owe you one," Roman laughed as they rode an airship back to a nearby White Fang camp. Neo gave a sharp glare at the short comment, which Roman found both adorable and hilarious. "Aw, come on Neo, it's a joke, at least laugh a little!"

Neo crossed her arms and continued to glare at him. "Alright, fine, I'm sorry I called you short. There, happy?" Roman rolled his eyes. Neo smirked playfully and nodded her head. "You can be such a pain," Roman said incredulously, but smiled as he looked out the bay door of the airship.

Once they landed, Roman gestured for Neo to follow him towards a large building away from the center of the camp. "Come on, let's go tell Cinder I'm out of jail," Roman began walking without seeing if Neo was following him. She caught up to him and walked beside him, sporting a soft and innocent smile, despite her deadly ability. They arrived inside the communication center and made their way to a large and open terminal. Roman pulled out his scroll and hooked it into the machine, telling it to call Cinder.

After a few moments, Cinder appeared on the screen with a small but wicked grin. "Roman, it's good to see you again," Cinder answered with a sickly sweet tone. "It's good to see Neo is as effective as ever." Cinder rarely gave out compliments, which is why Neo became slightly flustered and just nodded her head while trying to compose herself. "You two did always work best as a team," Neo's eyes might have deceived her, but it looked like Cinder was showing a genuine smile, as if proud of them.

"But of course," Roman smirked back at the screen. "Now that I'm back, what do you need?"

"Well, Mistral's commander is all the way out in Vale…so you could attack Mistral again. However," she paused, "I believe it would be more strategically sound if you joined Emerald and Mercury on their invasion of Vacuo."

"Alright," Roman answered as Neo nodded her head in confirmation. "By the way, whatever happened to Adam?"

"As far as we know, he's dead. Whatever he was planning, Sam must have gotten to him in time to stop him. I wanted Emerald and Mercury to converge on Vale's force as it came up, but as Atlas advanced as well, with threats of Vacuo cutting off our armies, I decided to send both of them to Vacuo to destroy them. That way, the armies of Remnant would be forced to go and help out their friends before we wiped them out, buying us more time to prepare for our true invasion." Cinder answered with a satisfied smirk.

"What about Atlas? What's stopping them from just marching to Tethara now?" Roman rolled his eyes at the hole in Cinder's strategy. "Atlesian forces can just come up behind Mercury's and wipe his army out."

"I'll be handling Atlas," Cinder seemed unaffected by Roman's point. "Just get to Vacuo and meet up with Emerald and Mercury." The screen went black as Cinder ended the call.

"Well that's odd," Roman scratched the back of his neck. "Cinder never does this, taking things into her own hands. It's why she has us, to do it for her." Neo showed the same confusion, but shook her head. "Yeah, you're right, lets just focus on getting to Vacuo," Roman gave a small smile to Neo and ruffled her hair, walking out of the building. Neo followed after, fuming while trying to fix her hair.

* * *

Chaney arrived in the waiting room of the infirmary, and noticed the group sitting over in a far corner. Sam and Blake were not with them, meaning they had been taken into a room to get checked up on. Chaney walked over to them, taking a seat next to Weiss. "How are they?" she asked after getting settled.

"We…don't know," Weiss hesitated. When Chaney got a look of panic, Weiss shook her head to try and calm her down. "The doctors looked concerned, and they rushed them both back there. We just hope that they're both okay."

"Surely it couldn't be that serious?" Chaney offered hopefully. "They were able to make it out this far, surely it can't be that bad."

"That's the thing," Ruby spoke up now. "We don't know how bad it is. It just seemed bad with how the doctors reacted. A nurse said she would come by to get us once they were ready."

Chaney nodded her head, and she turned to the entrance just to see Seth and Tom walk in. She motioned them over to where they had been sitting, and they came over quickly. "What happened? Are they okay? They aren't dead, are they?" Seth asked before anyone could explain.

"Sam and Blake took on a pretty tough opponent, and to tell the truth, we don't know if they are okay or not," Yang answered this time.

"I have to admit, but Sam seemed to become less and less responsive as we ran over here," Jaune forced out, with the others slowly lowering their heads.

"You don't seriously think he's come all this way to die now, do you?" Tom questioned.

Ren seemed visibly upset now, and slammed his hand down on a small table nearby. "For the final time, we don't know," He seethed, looking away from the group as their shocked expressions looked towards him. For the first time, Nora put her hand on Ren's shoulder to calm him down instead of the other way around.

"I would like to point out, Tetharans have an increased healing rate. Everybody's bodies heal slightly over time, but Tetharans heal even faster. Sam would have had to be pushed to a point of absolute no return to die, and the fact the he was able to stand and walk at all proves he wasn't at that point," Penny attempted to ease the tension of the group.

"But what about Blake?" Pyrrha asked now.

"Well, I don't know. But, the fact that both of them have made it this far leads me to believe that they will both survive and recover to full strength," Penny said confidently, whereas the rest of the group wished they could share her confidence.

Seconds stretched out into minutes, minutes stretching out into hours. They sat there, fear gripping their movements as they awaited the news. Seth's scroll ringing was the only thing that brought them out of their trance, and Seth excused himself quickly, answering the call as he made his way to the door. "I wonder what that's about," Nora was the only who could find her voice at the time. The others just shrugged their shoulders and continued their antagonizing wait. Seth soon walked back in, but with a somber expression on his face.

"I'm sorry to bring this up now guys, but Vacuo is under major attack, kinda like how Mistral was. If we don't send help immediately, Vacuo could be lost," Seth sighed.

Penny stood, as well as Tom. "We can lead the Vale forces along Ms. Goodwitch," Penny offered, looking back to the rest of the group.

Chaney stood up as well, saying, "I can lead Mistral forces there is well. Vacuo could probably use all the help it can get."

"Okay, well I guess that's settled," Tom also sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Hey, Weiss?" he asked softly. She lifted her head up slightly in response. "Let me know how they're doing, okay?" She nodded her head and stood to hug the ones leaving before they left. The other six joined her, everyone exchanging hugs and wishing each other luck. Eventually, Seth, Tom, Chaney, and Penny were gone, and now it was just Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and team JNPR remaining. Only a few minutes passed, before Jaune let out a long sigh. Everyone turned toward him, curious as though he looked like he had something to say.

"I know we are all really worried about Sam and Blake, but we can't just sit here and do nothing while the people of Vacuo are fighting for their lives. When Weiss had been injured by the White Fang, Sam still took us into battle despite that fact," he spoke shakily at first, but more confidently as he spoke.

"Yes, but at the same time, Sam had seen me before charging towards the mountain," Weiss countered. "I want to go help, but I need to know the two of them are okay or I won't be focused in battle. I don't think any of us would be, and that would just result in us getting hurt, or worse."

"How do you think Seth, Tom, Chaney, and Penny feel?" Jaune shot back.

Weiss didn't have a comeback for that one, and let out a long sigh as she put her head in her hands. Ruby took her place, offering her own argument. "How would you feel if that was Pyrrha in there instead?" she asked almost hotly, throwing Jaune off guard.

"Well, I mean…alright I get your point. I just don't see how us sitting around here is doing any good," Jaune shook his head slowly.

"Because, Mr. Arc, it isn't doing you any good," A voice boomed from behind the group, and they turned to see Professor Port standing there. "I understand how you all feel, I've had several comrades and even very close friends severely injured in battle, but sitting here and moping about them won't do them, you, or anyone else any good."

Weiss looked furious, even on the verge of tears before Port rested a hand on her shoulder. "I know it seems cruel, almost inhumane to do that, but there are other people who need our help. It is our duty to help them. Ms. Belladonna and Mr. Engle will still be here when we return, if they don't join us on the battlefield before then," he ended with a smile.

"But what if something happens while we are gone? What if one of them actually dies while we are out fighting?" Yang took up the argument now.

"If we don't go out and help Vacuo there will be thousands of more people dying today, Ms. Xiao Long," he answered gravely. "I didn't want to use this as an excuse, but there have been reports that both Emerald and Mercury are at Vacuo. If this is true, then they do not stand a chance without help."

Any attempts of arguing after that had been silenced when Port spoke both Emerald and Mercury's names. Suddenly, a nurse arrived hurriedly. "Ms. Schnee?" she asked the group, not noticing her at first. Weiss walked forward to meet the nurse, panic growing as she noticed the nurse's hurried movements. "Come with me please. The rest of you, please stay here," she ordered, motioning for Weiss to follow her as she took off towards the door. Weiss followed as quickly as she could, surprised at how fast the small nurse could walk. She was around Weiss' build, same height and weight, though the nurse seemed more blessed when it came to her chest. Eventually, she stopped in the middle of a hallway, causing Weiss to almost crash into her.

The nurse turned quickly, sighing as her expression dropped. "He asked for you, specifically. It isn't good, I can't even say it's bad, more like worse. His body is so far beyond weak that the only reason he was conscious when you found him was because of the stores of electricity in his body. Hell, those caches of electricity are the only reason he's alive. By the time we got him onto the stretcher, he was already losing the last bit of those caches. He's awake right now, but I can't guarantee he will be for long. Ms. Schnee…Weiss…we don't know if he'll make it. Several other Tetharans who were at this point perished, and we have no reason to believe Sam will be different. Please, this way," the nurse finished with a tear in her eye as she opened the door to their right.

Weiss had already begin to break down, but couldn't hold anything back as she saw Sam laying there, several IV tubes and machinery hooked up into his body. She could tell he was struggling to keep his eyes open, as well as keep from crying. She wanted to jump on him, hold him, just to feel safe and know everything would be okay, but the nurse informed her that he wasn't able to move his body much right now. Instead, Weiss rested her head next to Sam's on his pillow, beating the side of his bed with her fist as she cried.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Weiss repeated like a mantra as she continued to cry uncontrollably.

"W…Weiss…" Sam struggled to speak, pain noticeable in his tone. "Look at me…" he whispered into her ear the best he could. Weiss looked up, tear tracks evident as the flood gates had been opened, and hadn't been restrained at all until this point. "I'm…I'm going to be okay…" he managed to say before wincing severely in pain. Weiss moved to stop him from talking anymore, but Sam continued, "I heard the nurse…about Vacuo…they need you all."

"I'm not moving…I'm not going to leave you." Weiss said through sobs.

"Weiss…look at it this way…they did this to me…and now they are going to do it to thousands of other people who won't be as lucky as I am to still be alive. They need…they need everyone who can help them…I don't think…Vacuo will be quite as lucky as…Mistral," Sam grunted in pain at every pause, his body sometimes even convulsing from the pain.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Weiss dawned a look of horror.

"Mistral is still under our…control…I think Vacuo may be taken by the enemy…and if that's the case…they need…everyone…to help evacuate the…city…" Sam trailed off, the pain eventually causing him to black out. Weiss almost thought he had died, but the steady beeping of the heart monitor reassured her he was alive. She stood shakily, almost falling over before being supported by a nurse. She gave Sam a small kiss on the lips before walking out of the room with renewed strength. Rather, she felt an uncontrollable anger to those who had done this to him. Before she got too far, she stopped and turned back to the nurse who led her back her.

"What about Blake?" Weiss asked softly.

"She's not conscious right now, but aside from some broken bones and a bad wound in her side, she is fine," the nurse answered her, offering a small smile.

"Thank you," Weiss smiled back before turning back towards the exit with the same anger she had before. She slammed the door open, scaring everyone in the waiting room, including those who were not in her group. She stormed over to them, grabbing Myrtenaster. "We're going to Vacuo," she ordered instead of told them, waiting for the others to stand.

"And I'm going to make those bastards pay in blood."

 **And there we have it! My sort of, not so triumphant return to the world of fan literature! Or just fan fiction, literature is too fancy. Anyway, to those who have been waiting, to those who gave up on waiting, and to those just finding out about this story, I'm sorry for such a long delay in an update. A lot of things happened between now and the last update, nothing anyone needs to worry about. But, I'm back now. I'll be writing for the better part of these next two weeks, hopefully establishing a consistent update schedule. Anyway, THANK YOU GUYS (and gals) so much for reading so far! I hope you've enjoyed the other two parts, as well as this one. If you wouldn't mind, please leave a review letting me know what you thought of the story and any constructive criticism you might have. I'll only cry for a little bit at the criticism. I'm kidding! I'll cry alot. Still kidding! I appreciate any feedback you have to give me. I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 11

Chancellor Pierce ran as fast as she could, feeling the ground around her shaking as she heard explosions and gunfire around her. The guards urged her to keep moving, but she couldn't help but glance back to see part of her city burning. She noticed some of the Council hadn't made it this far, and continued running. Eventually, the guards took a hard right, and the surviving council members followed quickly, making it into a safe room. The guards locked the doors, and began barricading the entrance.

"How the hell could this have happened?" one of the councilmen shouted furiously.

"I don't know," Kiara sighed, leaning against a wall. "Something tell me the bulk of the White Fang is now on us, and its why we haven't heard anything from Vale or Atlas. They must have been jamming us."

"Well, what now, Chancellor?" a councilwoman looked to Pierce, pleading in her gaze. In truth, Kiara had no idea what to do. They needed to rally their forces together to meet the incoming hordes of White Fang soldiers, but even that seemed like it wouldn't be enough.

"We may have to evacuate," the Chancellor breathed out slowly and softly.

"Wha-what?! Evacuate Vacuo? How could you say that?" a councilman stood enraged.

"From the size of the White Fang forces at our doorstep, we do not have enough troops to defeat them. So our only option is to evacuate the city and live to fight another day," Pierce answered, more confident.

The council seemed to consider it more, and came to realize that she was, unfortunately, correct. "Understood, Chancellor. The Council stands with you," another councilman said as the others stood beside him.

"So what do we need to do?" The guards asked.

"We need to raise a city wide alarm, and move everyone to the western side of the city away from the fighting. That is the only chance our people have," Pierce replied.

"Understood, ma'am. It will be done," the guards walked up the stairs to fulfill their orders.

* * *

Team RWBY, minus Blake of course, and Team JNPR, along with Professor Port caught up quickly to Seth, Tom, Penny, and Chaney, boarding the same airship to Vale. Weiss had just finished explaining both Sam and Blake's condition, anger still flowing freely. Everyone shared the same angered expression after she had finished. "They will pay for this," Tom said through gritted teeth.

"They will…but how can we fight Mercury and Emerald without Sam?" Jaune sighed and punched the wall of the airship.

"You yourself said that Tetharans aren't invincible, and that we can take them down," Yang crossed her arms.

"Yeah, but at the same time, you guys also said that they are the ones who killed the king and queen of Tethara, as well as your mother, and defeated Taiyang, Qrow and Ozpin. If they can't win, what chance do we have?" Jaune forced out in a low whisper.

"My father, uncle, and Ozpin were blinded by rage, losing their loved ones just moments before throwing themselves into battle. If they were able to fight with all of their strength and strategy, it might have been a different story that day," Ruby commented, not looking at anyone besides the ground.

"Weiss, I hate to ask this, but do you think Sam will make it?" Pyrrha rested a hand on Weiss' shoulder.

Weiss sighed, staring out a window without looking at any of the group. "He said he would. We spoke a little before he blacked out. Told me that Vacuo needed our help right now, and that if we didn't stop them then there would be thousands of more people who wouldn't be as lucky as him to be alive. He told me he was going to be okay, and at this point I have no choice but to believe him," she spoke with a soft and almost forced voice. The group shared hurt and sympathetic glances towards each other, but decided not to crowd Weiss right now with her temper being the way it was.

Minutes later, they had landed in the clearing by where the headquarters for the Vale forces was, and where Glynda would be at. "I didn't expect you all so soon…is everything alright?" Glynda had been hopeful with their quick arrival, but her mood soon changed as she saw the looks on everyone's faces.

"Blake has some broken bones and a bad wound in her side, but aside from that she will be fine soon. As for Sam, he…he may not make it," Ruby reported, faltering by the end.

"Damn it…" Glynda cursed as she tightened her grip on her wand and looked to the ground. "I'm sorry," she forced out under her breath, pointed towards Weiss.

"I'm sure by now you've heard about Vacuo," Weiss ignored Glynda's reaction and tried to stay professional.

Goodwitch was taken back by Weiss' mood, but decided that she would rather just kick some ass to get her mind off of things. "Yes, I did. I'm assuming that's why you all have come?" Glynda looked at the group from Seth all the way down to Port.

"Yes, that's right," Port answered for the group. "Have you been in contact with Ozpin?"

"Yes, he will be meeting you there. I'm afraid I must stay behind, being the Headmaster's assistant and with Sam being…out of commission, I am the only one left to lead our forces while Ozpin is out," Glynda informed them. "I will send a message to Ozpin about the news and tell him you are on the way. I have a few warships ready to go with you," she motioned towards a group of them hovering over Vale.

"Thank you," Seth bowed his head, along with the rest of the group, before they all boarded the airship to meet the warships.

* * *

"Uh, Oz, you might want to take a look at this," Qrow motioned over to a cliff's edge that he was staring over. Taiyang and Ozpin walked over with him and looked down. Vacuo had indeed been invaded, and it seemed their forces were doing their best to keep from being overrun.

"Do you think Pierce made it out?" Taiyang asked, concern laced in his tone.

"If anyone could survive this, it is Chancellor Pierce," Ozpin smiled to himself. "We wait for reinforcements, then push back the enemy with our warships," he ordered.

"If Vacuo can make it that long," Qrow muttered under his breath.

* * *

"So, Neo, how are you doing?" Roman decided to break the silence in their airship as they traveled over the ocean to Vacuo. Neo simply shrugged her shoulders and gave Roman a thumbs up. She then tilt her head to the side as if to ask the question back at him. "You know, all things considered, never better," he smirked at her. Neo smiled back, though more genuine than Roman's smirk.

Neo and Roman had been together for some time, even since kids. Neo had always been a strong silent type, and Roman had saved her from school bullies back in their youth. Roman could still remember how they first met…

 _He was walking away from the playground, hot and sweaty, hoping to get a cold drink of water from the fountain before returning to the games and mischief of the playset. It was a bright and sunny day, no clouds in the sky, and only a small breeze. It was one of those days that even the shade didn't do much to cool off the heat that spread over the land. As he walked towards the water fountain, he thought he could her a girl crying, followed by loud smacking noises. He walked up to the corner of the school building and peaked his head around to see a small pink and brown haired girl curled up on the ground covering her head as two older boys spat insults and beat her._

 _Roman initially thought to go find a teacher, but as he watched he saw she had bruises, as if this had been happening for a while. Furious, he rounded the corner. "Hey, punks, back off!" he shouted at them, storming over to the young girl._

 _"_ _Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do? Stop us?" a boy glared, his fists tightening._

 _"_ _That's exactly what I'm going to do," Roman whispered under his breath before decking one of the boys in the jaw. The boy he punched recoiled and cowered in pain, running after the first hit. The other boy, much larger than the first, became furious and charged at Roman. He launched a massive punch directed at Roman's gut, only to miss as Roman had flipped around behind him. He grabbed the back of the boy's collar, spinning him and then letting him go, only to have the boy run face first into the brick wall of the school building. He screamed, reaching for his nose as blood began pulsing out, and ran after his friend._

 _Roman wiped his hands off on his pants and walked over to the girl, leaning down to offer her a hand. The girl reacted only by curling tighter into a ball, causing Roman to frown. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Roman, Roman Torchwick. What's yours?" he asked, hand still extended to help her up._

 _"_ _N…neo…" she managed to say softly, so soft that Roman almost missed it. She looked up at him, and he noticed tear streaks on her cheeks, as well as a black eye. She grabbed Roman's hand slowly, and he pulled her up, letting him use his shoulder to find her balance._

 _"_ _Are you okay? Should we go see the nurse?" Roman asked softly, helping her walk until she felt comfortable enough to walk on her own._

 _"_ _Probably not…you did kind of break that kid's nose, and maybe that other kid's jaw, so they are probably there right now," she giggled softly. Roman joined her in laughter, still walking back to the playground._

 _"_ _Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why were those two picking on you?" Roman asked gently._

 _"_ _They thought I looked funny, made fun of my height compared to theirs, and made fun of my voice…I tried to fight back this last time, but then…" she trailed off._

 _"_ _They started beating you…" Roman finished for her, with her being on the verge of tears again. "Listen Neo, I think you look pretty. I don't think you're that short, and I think your voice is beautiful," Roman told her, trying his best to calm her down before she started crying again._

 _"_ _R-really?" she looked at him hopefully._

 _"_ _Of course! And if anyone says otherwise, leave them to me. I'll protect you Neo," Roman assured her._

 _Neo stopped and gave Roman a small hug. "Thank you…Roman," she said after the hug ended._

 _"_ _No problem, Neo," Roman smiled. Neo smiled back and Roman gestured to a swing set on the playground. "Wanna swing together?" he offered innocently. Neo was apprehensive at first, but then nodded her head. The two of them ran over, and for the first time that day, Neo was happy._

Roman shook his head after replaying the memory, looking over at his partner. She tilted her head in confusion, "What is it?" she asked, speaking for the first time since they had been reunited. Secretly, Roman loved the sound of Neo's voice.

"Oh, nothing. Just going back over old memories," Roman smiled as he looked out of the airship. Neo was the only one that Roman ever actually showed compassion or happiness towards, and this was in private where no one could see them. Roman was the only one Neo spoke to, and he relished in that privilege.

"I see," Neo smiled as well, stealing a glance at Roman before looking out of the airship at the water beneath them. "When do we arrive?" she asked softly.

"About an hour. If you want to head into the back part of the airship and catch a nap, now would be the time," Roman joked as he stretched his arms upwards.

"And miss out on the view? I think not," Neo crossed her arms, letting her legs hang out of the airship as she sat on the edge. Roman joined her, enjoying the view, as well as the sunset. Roman and Neo both secretly hoped the moment wouldn't end and they wouldn't be in battle again so soon, but miserably realized they had little choice. Neo quickly looked over and gave Roman a small peck on the lips before turning back entirely into the airship. When Roman gave her a questioning look, she simply said, "for good luck," with a small smile and the faintest hint of a blush. Roman smiled back, standing and ruffling Neo's hair before sitting back and slowly drifting to sleep.

* * *

The airship ride to the fleet of warships had been completely silent, and each of them had been given a small cabin to rest in before the battle. It would take some time to arrive, a few hours at the earliest. Tom had been pacing around his room, unable to sit down or stop with what was on his mind. Sam may very well be dead and there wasn't a thing they could do about it. He felt incredibly sympathetic to Weiss, whom he had first met at the restaurant all that time ago. Though it felt like it had been an age, it very well might have not even been over a month. He sighed, knowing that sitting here walking back and forth wouldn't help him, so he decided to go find Weiss and check on how she was doing.

As he walked out of his cabin and down the hall towards Weiss's, he saw that Seth, Pyrrha, and Ruby must have had the same idea as they all sat outside her door. Tom motioned for the three to come closer so Weiss wouldn't hear them talking, and decided to ask what progress they had made with her.

"Well? How is she?" Tom asked somewhat hopefully.

"We…we haven't talked to her. Ruby got here first, and she said she heard her crying," Seth frowned.

"Well, what are we supposed to expect?" Ruby sighed.

"I want to help her, I just have no idea what to say…" Pyrrha looked disheartened and helpless.

"Maybe because there isn't anything to say," Tom thought out loud. "All we can do is stand with her and be her shoulder to cry on or support to help her keep fighting."

The other three nodded, and Tom walked between them to go and knock on Weiss' door. "Hey, Weiss, it's Tom. Can I come in?" he asked softly. He heard no response, but could tell some sheets ruffling and footsteps as the door clicked unlocked. Weiss opened the door slightly, turning to go sit down before Tom opened the door the rest of the way to step inside before closing it behind him.

"What do you want?" Weiss said in a low whisper, and Tom almost could feel venom on her words.

"I know there isn't anything I can say to make you feel better, but I want you to know that I'm here to talk. We all are, and we always will be," Tom shrugged off any edge to Weiss' words and gave a concerned and sympathetic glance.

Weiss said nothing, just staring at the ground instead of looking up to meet Tom's gaze. He decided to try another method, walking over to Weiss before bending over and wrapping his arms around her in a large hug. Weiss tensed at the contact, but then began to shiver and eventually shake uncontrollably as she let out the tears she tried to hold back. Tom simply rubbed her back softly and whispered comforting words into her ear as she cried, picking her up out of the chair in the hug before carrying her over to the bed so they both could sit down. Tom broke the hug for a moment to sit on the edge of the bed, patting a spot next to him for Weiss to sit down. She did reluctantly, and put her head in her hands again as she continued to cry. Tom placed a hand on her upper back and rubbed comforting, waiting for her to calm down slightly.

As Weiss' sobs started to fade, she was finally able to form words. "Do…do you think he'll make it?" Weiss didn't look up at first, wiping her eyes. But after she had done so, she shot a pleading and helpless gaze at Tom, looking for any reassurance from Sam's former partner in the VDF. Tom noticed her eyes were red and bloodshot, as though she had been crying for a long time before he arrived.

Tom sighed softly, not really having the confidence to give the answer Weiss so desperately wanted to hear. "Yes, I think he will," he said after some thought. "Let me tell you of a story from way back, back when Sam was still in training, and when we had first met," he tried to get her mind off of the subject of Sam's current condition. Weiss nodded her head, wiping away the rest of her tears as she had finally stopped crying.

"We had been given partners, and I had a reputation for giving those on my side a hard time to push them to be better. So, Ozpin put me and Sam together. I remember one mission, we were dropped out in the middle of the woods, Grimm completely surrounding us. Our objective was to return to Vale, by any means necessary. If you didn't come back by a certain time, search parties were sent out to find you and bring you back, and you would fail the exercise if you were still alive. Now that I think back, I can almost remember getting dropped off…"

 _Both Sam and Tom jumped from the airship as it neared their drop-off point and turned to the direction of Vale, a large distance away. "How long do you think it'll take to get back?" Tom asked Sam after the airship had gone._

 _"_ _Depends on how fast you are," Sam looked over with a large smirk on his face. I let out a loud laugh at his confidence._

 _"_ _Come on kid, I could beat you in any race, any day of the week," Tom replied as he began walking towards a hill to get a better view of their surroundings._

 _"_ _Hmph, I doubt that very much," Sam said under his breath, but just loud enough that Tom could hear it._

 _Tom rolled his eyes and continued marching towards the hill. "Do me a favor and don't slow me down. I'd like to get back relatively quickly so I can get back to a reasonable bed," he called back to Sam._

 _"_ _Bah, who needs beds? I can sleep on the forest floor every night of the year," Sam put his hands behind his head as he jogged to catch up with Tom._

 _"_ _Yeah, I'm sure you could," Tom rolled his eyes again. "Alright kid, if we're going to get through this, we might as well get to know each other. So, what's your story?"_

 _"_ _The name's Sam. Sam Engle. Got a bit of a strange heritage, at least it probably would be strange to you. And you are?" Sam introduced himself, outstretching his hand for a handshake as he stopped walking._

 _"_ _Tom Evered is the name. As for family, or heritage, been around Vale my whole life, and my family has never lived anywhere else. What do you mean strange heritage?" Tom asked incredulously as he took Sam's hand in the hand shake._

 _"_ _You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Sam sighed._

 _"_ _Oh yeah? Try me," Tom pressed as they resumed walking._

 _"_ _My parents are the king and queen of Tethara, and are both dead, leaving me as the heir that Ozpin has taken responsibility of raising me and training me," Sam answered._

 _"_ _Wow. That is strange. But tells me a lot about how Ozpin chose us to be grouped together," Tom commented._

 _"_ _What do you mean?" Sam took his turn asking questions._

 _"_ _I've got a history for, uh, giving a hard time to my teammates and partners. I'm one of those no bullshit kinds of people who doesn't stand for half-assed work," Tom replied. "I'm gonna guess you haven't had all that much combat experience, which would make sense why Ozpin would want to put you with me. I would be the toughest, and by definition, greatest person to train you."_

 _"_ _Oh come on, you can't be that good. How old are you anyway?" Sam questioned._

 _"_ _26, been training ever since I was 12 to be the greatest huntsman of all time. I got accepted into Beacon early, graduated early at the top of my class, and became known as one of the toughest people out there. I'm known for being one hell of a hardass when it comes to stuff, kid," Tom retorted._

 _"_ _Stop calling me kid, I'm only like 90 years older than you are," Sam rolled his eyes. Tom's eyes widened, but he didn't let his shock as they walked. They didn't noticed until just then, but the sun had begun setting. Both made their way towards a clearing, grabbing what loose wood they could find for a fire. They piled the wood together and Tom tried striking his lighter, only for it to not work. "Don't worry, I've got this," Sam smirked and threw lightning at the wood pile, setting it ablaze._

 _"_ _So that's your semblance?" Tom moved his bag over to a soft patch of grass to lay down. Sam simply nodded his head and laid down as well, looking up at the stars. Tom decided that he would take the first watch and sat up, leaning against his bag as he watched the fire. Hours passed, and Tom had long since lost track of time. The fire had begun to die down slowly, and he felt his eyelids growing heavier. Without thinking, he slipped into slumber, not waking Sam for the next watch._

 _Suddenly, Tom heard a gunshot, and his eyes flew open as he stood, watching a Grimm monster collapsing and slowly turning to dust. He turned to see Sam awake, holding his rifle and aiming it where the Grimm had been. "Don't let your guard down, I don't think it was alone," Sam whispered, standing up slowly. Tom pulled out his assault rifle and Sam pulled out his sword to compliment his rifle. Before either of them knew it, several Grimm monsters jumped at them from the darkness. They had been split from the sheer number and surprise of the attack, and would have to work to meet back up with each other. Tom had been attack by a few Ursa, while Sam had been hit with several beowolves. Tom hand managed to gun down one before it got close, but was not as lucky with three more that had charged him. He was forced to quickly switch his assault rifle into its mace form and take the Ursa on in close combat. After beating the three remaining Ursa, Tom stopped to try and catch his breath while he looked around for Sam. To his dismay, Sam and the beowolves were nowhere to be seen. Tom decided that Sam had lead the wolves away as to keep them off of him, and decided to wait for Sam to return to finish the beowolves off together._

 _Unfortunately, the Grimm had other plans. Tom felt the ground shaking with large footsteps, only to turn and see the largest Ursa Major he had ever seen. "You have GOT to be kidding!" Tom muttered to himself as the Ursa Major charged at him. He had to move fast as the Ursa's strikes were fast and incredibly brutal. Tom tried to jump into the air to avoid the Ursa Major's punch, but after getting into the air he was knocked off balance by the Major's backswing. He fell down on the ground hard, the air knocked out of him. As he fought for breath, the Major came up to deal the final blow, raising its fists above its head, slamming them down on top of Tom. Tom had no time to react, and just closed his eyes and sent out a silent call for help._

 _Suddenly, Tom could hear the loud smashing sound of the Major's fists, but was surprisingly unharmed. He looked up to see Sam holding up the Ursa's arms, and saw his head whip around quickly. "RUN!" Sam screamed as he began struggling with the weight of the Major. Tom nodded his head and ran to safety before turning back to see Sam run out from under the Ursa Major as well. Tom smiled as he saw Sam escape, but soon turned to worry as he saw Sam's legs begin to shake with the struggle of standing. Before Tom could shout anything or react, the Ursa was back on top of Sam, aiming strike after strike at him. Sam dodged with relative ease, but Tom could tell that holding up the Major had sapped a lot of his strength. He tried to formulate a plan, but couldn't think of anything as he watched Sam. Eventually, Sam stopped dodging and put his sword up to one of the Ursa's fists as he punched, stabbing it into the creature and keeping it in place. Sam used his other arm to fire the rifle into the Major's armorless belly, with the creature growling at him. Eventually, the Major shook Sam's sword out of his hand and nailed him directly in the chest with its good arm._

 _"_ _NO!" Tom ran up, weapon in mace form as he charged the creature. But before he could get there, the Ursa began convulsing as Tom saw electricity flowing through the sword from Sam's outstretched hand from where he had landed. Eventually, the electric current stopped flowing, and the Ursa Major finally collapsed, dead. Tom ran over, pulling Sam's sword out of the creature before running over to Sam. However, Sam was out cold, and Tom could tell he was bleeding in several places. Not thinking about anything else, Tom picked Sam up onto his shoulder and began running towards Vale, not caring who followed them…_

"And then, we had finally made it back to the clearing where Ozpin and the Beacon teachers were. Medical crews came up and took Sam to the infirmary, and for a little bit, it didn't look like Sam was going to make it out of that either, yet he has made it this far," Tom finished. "Don't worry about him, Weiss. He'll be waiting for you when we get back." Weiss gave Tom a tight hug, whispering a small thank you.

"Attention crew, we will be arriving at the outskirts of Vacuo in 20 minutes. Begin final preparations for the battle," a voice called over the loudspeaker.

"I guess I gotta go get ready," Tom sighed, sitting up after the hug. Weiss nodded, and walked him to the door.

"Me too. Thank you, Tom, for everything," Weiss smiled for the first time it seemed that day. Tom smiled back and nodded, walking back to his room to get ready for maybe the toughest battle of his entire life.

 **And there we have it! Another chapter down in the Forsaken series, and some interesting back story moments. But, it all seems to be coming to a tee at Vacuo. Will the city be evacuated? Will it be lost? Can the Remnant forces stop the White Fang from taking Vacuo? Will Sam survive? What will happen to Pierce and the Council? How will our heroes fight Emerald and Mercury without Sam? In my opinion, its all rather exciting, and I hope you share a similar vibe. And I have to say, I'm actually a bigger supporter of RomanxNeo, so, uh, there you have it so far. Have any questions? Comments? Concerns? Criticisms? Leave a review! Don't feel comfortable putting it where everyone can see it? Send me a private message! Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading, and I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	13. Chapter 12

White Fang soldiers began resting in the ruins of a building they captured when they heard the sounds of airships approaching. In the next moment a rocket came into the building, exploding and killing the White Fang members inside. Several Valean airships flew in overhead, landing in open areas of the bullet storm that had become Vacuo. RWY, JNPR, Seth, Tom, and Port jumped from their airship and went to cover to fire back at White Fang soldiers who had arrived at their landing zone. As the fighting continued, more airships came in with more Valean reinforcements, and eventually the White Fang was on the run.

"We need to find Ozpin and the Vacuo Council," Seth ordered as the group reassembled.

"I'm right here," a voice called out from behind them. They turned to see Ozpin, Taiyang, and Qrow standing on some rubble with even more Valean soldiers. "Though I do not know where the Council is. Perhaps we should begin searching for safe rooms?" Ozpin finished.

Seth nodded his head and gave orders to squad leaders over radio. "How have things been out there for you guys?" Jaune asked while Seth was busy.

"It was a battleground, about as good as you could expect," Qrow answered bluntly. "But with no Adam around anymore, the White Fang we fought looked like chickens with their heads cut off."

"What he means is that we've done pretty well for ourselves and have done significant damage with minimal losses," Taiyang cut in as Qrow finished.

"Nerd," Qrow wiped his chin after taking a quick swig of his drink.

"Okay, Ozpin, wanna divide us up? I've got an idea on four locations we can check for the Council," Seth returned to the group.

"Qrow, go with team RWBY, Professor Port, you take Seth and Tom. Taiyang will go with JNPR, and I will go to the last location by myself," Ozpin grouped them together.

"Are you sure Professor?" Ruby asked timidly.

"Trust me, Oz can handle himself," Taiyang reassured.

"Here are the coordinates," Seth told the four adults as he handed each of them a scroll.

"We will check these coordinates and then regroup here," Ozpin marked a spot on the map of Vacuo, "after doing so. Lets get moving," Ozpin ordered. The group split and sprinted to their respective locations

* * *

"Let's go!" Roman and Neo jumped from their airship into a crowd of Vacuo and White Fang soldiers. Neo pulled the blade from her umbrella and sliced through several Vacuon soldiers, clearing out a small area. Roman beat a couple of soldiers with his cane before aiming the gun setting to more arriving soldier, blowing them to bits. After a bit more fighting, the surviving Vacuo soldiers retreated, with the White Fang running after them. Roman did not run after them, leaving just him and Neo in the clearing with several dead bodies.

"It is good that war is so terrible, otherwise we would grow too fond of it," Roman stated, scanning the bodies.

Neo was about to reply when more White Fang soldiers jumped from airships overhead, chasing the others that left before. "Don't worry about speaking, we should go ahead and get going," Roman said sadly, and Neo nodded solemnly. Though Roman was opposed to the governments he hated war and death. However, he knew that if he backed out now he would be killed. Neo knew this as well, so they decided to continue pushing onward, doing what they had to survive.

As they approached the edge of the clearing the White Fang soldiers chased the Vacuo soldiers, more airships arrived. However, these airships were not White Fang. Mistral forces had arrived, and were landing not too far from where Roman assumed his forces would be. "Shit, c'mon Neo, lets go!" Roman ran towards the landing ships, Neo doing her best to follow.

* * *

"Move the rest of the ships into that quadrant," Chaney ordered, pointing to a spot on a virtual map of Vacuo that was at the newly establish Allied camp. The officers there at the map with Chaney nodded, dispersing and typing things onto their respective scrolls. As they left, Chaney felt her scroll vibrate and looked at it to see Glynda calling.

"Glynda, is everything alright?" Chaney asked as she answered the call.

"Everything in Vale is fine, I was just calling to see if you forces, as well as Vale's had arrived at Vacuo," Glynda maintained a straight face as she replied.

"Vale beat me here, I couldn't find Ozpin anywhere, so I'm sure they are deep into enemy lines," Chaney answered. "I found some high ranking Valean officers and established a base outside of the city to coordinate attacks."

"That's good, we may be able to win there after all," Glynda sighed in relief.

"There is one problem, however," Chaney's mood turned dark. "We haven't ran into Mercury or Emerald yet, and we have reports of even more White Fang reinforcements supposedly led by Roman Torchwick."

"We knew the battle wouldn't be easy, we just have to make sure we save as many people as we can and destroy the White Fang," Glynda responded confidently, not shaken by what Chaney said.

"Right, understood," Chaney nodded.

"Good luck out there," Glynda said before ending the call. Chaney simply sighed in response and walked off to an airship to travel into the city and join the battle.

* * *

"Pierce, you in there?" Qrow knocked on a large metal door.

"Do you seriously think they'll just open up the door and say hi?" Yang asked incredulously. Suddenly, a loud clanking noise sounded as the door began to move. It opened outwards just enough for Chancellor Pierce to run outside.

"Qrow, is that you?" Pierce stomped out.

"The one and only," Qrow smiled as Pierce smacked him. RWY looked at the entire encounter with disbelief, cartoonishly falling onto the ground.

"I can't believe you of all people are here to save us," Pierce glared at him menacingly.

Qrow simply pit his hands up in a shrug. "Come on, we need to get you and the Council to safety," Qrow ignored her glare.

"Oh, now you care about protection," Pierce sighed and turned back towards the safe room to get the remaining members of the Council. RWY had not heard Pierce's comment and finally got back to their feet.

"That actually worked…"Yang looked up at the door.

"Yep, me and Pierce go way back," Qrow walked back towards the three girls. Before the girls could ask any questions, Pierce came back out with the surviving Council members and their remaining security. "Come on, we need to meet back up with the others and get the Council out of the city," Qrow began to walk off towards the rally point without looking to see if they would follow him. They did slowly, wary of any attacks from stray White Fang squads.

* * *

Taiyang opened the safe room door slowly, with team JNPR moving into the room as he did. As they surveyed the dark room, they all came to the same conclusion at the same time that the Council was not here.

"Alright, let's go ahead and start towards the rally point," Taiyang lowered his head and walked back out. Team JNPR was about to fire when they heard gunfire. They ran outside to see Taiyang behind cover with several White Fang blocking their way. "GET DOWN!" Taiyang shouted as the White Fang opened fire. Jaune and Pyrrha put up their shield as Nora shot into the sky with her grenade launcher and Ren jumped to a nearby roof to return fire. Nora fired some grenades at the White Fang soldiers while still in the air and came back down, letting Magnhild transform into its hammer form. Jaune pulled out his sword and kept his shield up to block fire as he advanced, and Pyrrha transform Milos into its rifle form to cover Jaune. Taiyang jumped out of cover and began beating down the White Fang by him, with guns attached to his legs and arms, punching and kicking through the crowd. By the time Jaune had made it to the White Fang soldiers, he swung at nothing as all of them had already been killed. He laughed nervously as he folded up his shield and sheathed his sword, scratching the back of his neck.

"You guys could've saved some for me," Jaune said and they all laughed together.

"Come on, lets get moving," Taiyang began walking towards the rally point with JNPR behind him.

* * *

"I was on a hunt quite similar to this, actually," Port was telling another story.

"Peter, really, I don't care," Tom said bluntly, having heard his stories for years.

"How rude! I'll have you know my journeys carry great important information you could use," Port was at odds with Tom.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get to the damn safe room," Tom brushed off Port's frustration.

Port huffed and followed Tom and Seth to the safe room. As they walked, they couldn't help but feel like they were being followed. Seth would watch behind them, Tom watched the roofs, and Port guarded their front. But as they continued, the feeling didn't go away, but they couldn't find anything. They arrived at the safe room only to find it completely destroyed, bodies littering the ground.

"Well this place is morbid," Seth muttered darkly. "See if you can find any of the Council members," he called to Tom and Port.

"Fortunately, I don't see any," Port compared bodies to pictures of the council members.

"I see yours," a voice called out.

"What the-" Seth turned around just to get a boot to the face. Tom turned to see Mercury standing over Seth and quickly shot his assault rifle at him to get him of his friend. Mercury did indeed run off, while he did Tom and Port ran over to help Seth, who had a small trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Just you? Or is your bitch here too?" Tom called out, with Mercury disappearing.

"Nope, only little old me," Mercury called back in a sing-song voice.

"Show yourself, coward!" Port shouted at Mercury in the shadows.

"Hmm…okay," Mercury appeared out nothingness and kicked Port back into a wall of rubble. Tom aimed his rifle at Mercury and began firing again, with Seth grabbing his weapon and charging at Mercury with his speed. Mercury's speed matched Seth's and they clashed several times before separating.

While Tom was reloading, Port shouted a war cry as he shot up into the air and brought his axe down onto where Mercury had been standing, only for him to dodge. Tom charged in with his mace and took some swings at Mercury while Port also threw some blows with his axe. Mercury blocked each shot, then dodged beneath both of them so they hit each other. Mercury smirked until Seth surprised him by nailing him in the face with his staff.

Mercury massaged his jaw and was shocked as he saw blood on his hand afterwards. He glared at the three fighters and took another battle stance. "Now I'm mad," he charged at the three just for Seth to use his speed to block the assault Tom and Port both jumped to the side and fired at Mercury while he was disoriented by Seth's block, managing some good hits. Mercury eventually regained himself then used his Tetharan strengths and speed to get past Seth's defense and beat him down. Tom and Port tried to assist him, only for Mercury to kick them both in the chest, sending them back into rubble. Mercury walked slowly over to Seth's body on the ground, putting his foot on Seth's head. Their eyes locked as Mercury looked down on him.

"This is the part where you die," Mercury said as he lifted his leg to kick into Seth's skull and kill him. Just as Mercury lifted his foot, a green shot blasted Mercury away, and a shield appeared around Seth. Mercury stood up slowly, wiping some more blood off of his jaw and looked over to see Ozpin standing over Seth.

"Greetings, Mercury. It has been some time since last we met," Ozpin smiled, taking a drink from his mug that he had for some reason.

"It has, Ozpin," Mercury stood a little taller. "I'll make sure I finished the job and kill you this time."

"If you really think you can kill me, I invite you to try," Ozpin took another sip, a small grin on his face. Mercury rushed towards him at incredible speeds and kicked at the shield around Ozpin and Seth, only for Mercury to get blasted back again. Tom and Port got up slowly, aiming their weapons at Mercury once again, while Ozpin aimed his cane at Mercury as well.

"Fine, I'll let you go for now. Just know next time you will die," Mercury disappeared in an instant, and Tom and Port collapsed as he did. Seth stood slowly, hurt but able to walk.

"Mind helping me carry those two?" Ozpin asked, a smile still on his face.

"I'll just call a nearby squad," Seth breathed heavily. As he did, the shield around them dispersed and Ozpin looked to the sky. The sun had begun to set, and it seemed day one of the battle was coming to a close. The squad arrived soon and loaded Port and Tom onto stretchers and then they also began making their way to the rally point, where the others would be waiting for them.

 **And that is the end of that chapter! I'M SORRY I VANISHED! BLAME COLLEGE! I'm on break now and will have plenty of time to write and blast out chapters. Plus I've got a friend who is holding me accountable so I actually write and make the goals I want to make. So day one has come and gone in the Battle for Vacuo! Vale and Mistral have come to their assistance, but with Roman's forces, the already seemingly overwhelming odds seem to have gotten worse. And with the encounter with Mercury, do you think the good guys can win? Where is Emerald? What happens now? All great questions...that'll be answered sometime soon. Thank you guys so much for reading, and I will see you in the next chapter! (LEAVE A REVIEW TO LET ME KNOW HOW I DID)**


	14. Chapter 13

"Move up!" Chaney shouted as she fired into more White Fang soldiers. The Mistral forces pushed forward, fighting for more cover, until they eventually took another city block as night fell. "Defend the flanks and bulk up our forces along the front lines, and tell the reserves to rest up here, neither side will want to fight in the night," Chaney ordered.

"Yes ma'am," nearby officers responded to her order. She let out a long sigh, sitting against a wall of rubble. Before long, her eyes closed, and she fell into a deep sleep as the soldiers around her.

* * *

"Take them out! Keep pushing until I tell you to stop!" Roman ordered, firing his cane at more Vacuo soldiers hiding in the ruined buildings along the road they were standing on. As Roman was about to charge with his soldiers, Neo grabbed his arm and held him back. Roman looked back in confusion and Neo pointed towards the sky. Roman hadn't even noticed it was night time, and let out a sigh. "Hold back and form up some defenses for tonight, we've done enough today," Roman ordered.

The White Fang soldiers almost seemed relieved, gathering rubble to build a small defensive wall for them to hide behind. Roman went back to a small clearing that the White Fang was setting up camp in and went into a small building that was relatively intact. Roman and Neo saw the White Fang were setting up a headquarters in here and walked past them to a small back room. There was actually a bed in the room, and Roman pointed it out, "You can take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

Neo pouted a little bit, but eventually laid down in the bed. Roman laid on the floor, and for once that day there was silence. Just as Roman was about to fade away into the darkness of sleep, he heard a soft voice from the bed. "Roman? Can you…sleep with me? N-not like that, but I mean in the same bed…never mind, you're probably asleep" Neo stuttered and muttered. Roman said nothing, just standing with a small grin on his face as he got into the bed with a very red-faced Neo. Neither of them said anything, with Roman simply wrapping his arms around Neo and Neo burying her face into Roman's chest. He did his best to hold back a small laugh, succeeding slightly as he drifted off to sleep. Neo fell asleep more at peace, and smiled as well.

* * *

"What happened?!" Taiyang came rushing over to help Seth, Tom, and Port while Ozpin simply walked into the clearing.

"We had a little run in with Mercury," Ozpin answered for the three.

"Wait, just Mercury? Where's Emerald?" Weiss asked.

"We don't know, he just said he was by himself," Seth answered, grunting in pain.

"At least you guys made it," Ruby offered encouragement.

"Well, if it weren't for Ozpin, we would've died," Tom replied.

"What happened to Mercury then?" Qrow questioned.

"He ran off after Ozpin saved Seth and we surrounded him," Port replied this time.

"So they're both still out there," Qrow sighed. "Things haven't gotten any easier, and they may have even gotten harder."

"There wasn't else that could have been done. Mercury still could have won even with me there, I simply had to do my best to seem like we had the advantage. He very well could beat me one on one," Ozpin answered.

"I just wish Sam was here," Jaune breathed, the rest of the group lowering their heads.

"I hope you don't mind my asking, but who is Sam?" Chancellor Pierce jumped into the conversation.

"He is the heir to the Tetharan throne, and a very close friend," Weiss replied.

"Where is he? If he is Tetharan he could change the tide of the battle easily?" Pierce continued to question.

"In the hospital at Beacon. He was severely injured in an assassination attempt of a White Fang commander," Weiss continued to answer.

"I see, I'm sorry," Pierce said solemnly.

"Come on, lets get the Council out of the city," Taiyang said as silence met Pierce's words. With a silent nod, Seth called for an airship to pick them up and take them to the headquarters outside the city.

* * *

"Salutations! Welcome to the Allied base camp!" an enthusiastic Penny welcomed the group as they arrived.

"Good to see you Penny," Ruby smiled as they got off the airship. Penny had stayed to help set up the base camp and worked along with Chaney to establish the position.

"Where is Ms. Ashcroft?" Ozpin asked politely as the airship behind them took off again.

"She went into the city to fight," Penny reported.

"Right. Well, Team RWBY and JNPR, why don't you go with Penny to where you'll be resting? We will take Seth, Tom, and Professor Port to the medics," Ozpin told the group.

"Right, get some rest you three!" Ruby told Seth, Tom, and Port before Taiyang, Qrow, and Ozpin took them away.

As the group began walking towards their beds, they spoke about their individual abilities and fighting styles. "With my speed, I can get anywhere!" Ruby bragged about herself.

"I heard Seth's semblance is speed too, so I wonder who would win in a race?" Nora thought out loud.

"I'm not quite sure," Ren joined in the thought.

"What about you Weiss? Anything you can do, aside from those glyph thingys?" Yang asked.

"Well, a trait that has been passed through my family is the ability to summon. I haven't really done it all that much, and the biggest thing I could manage was the right arm of a large knight," Weiss replied, not entirely comfortable about being questioned about her summoning.

"Whoa, really?! That's awesome!" Jaune commented.

"Yeah Weiss, you have to show us!" Ruby pleaded.

"Not right now, okay? Again, I haven't done it much, so I can't even guarantee I can summon it again," Weiss shifted uneasily.

"That's alright, perhaps on the battlefield?" Pyrrha tried to head the discussion in a different direction, seeing Weiss' uneasiness.

"Aww man, okay," Ruby and Jaune hung their heads in disappointment as they reached their tents where their beds were. They each said good night and slowly began to drift into darkness.

* * *

"Well Merc, you look like hammered shit," Emerald mocked as Mercury returned to the camp that the White Fang had set up.

"Shut up," he ignored the jab and sat down next to a collapsed building, with a medic coming up and tending to his wounds.

"Well? Did you manage to get any of them? Sam?" Emerald questioned.

"The group I attacked didn't have Sam in it, nor any of the Vacuo Council," Mercury begrudgingly admitted.

"Ugh, you had one job! Did you at least kill them?" Emerald looked at Mercury with disbelief.

"No. Ozpin jumped in just as I was about to finish them off," Mercury hated to admit.

"Merc, what is Cinder going to say? This is our chance to take the war and win! How could you fail like that?" Emerald yelled.

"Look he caught he by surprise, alright? I'll get him next time!" Mercury shouted back.

"Given your shape, you're lucky to have a next time," Emerald walked off to an unseen tent from where Mercury was sitting.

Mercury sighed, lifting his head to look at the sky. He was about to close his eyes before the medic stood. "You should be fine by morning. The commander gave the report to Emerald earlier, but I thought I should give it to you now," the medic said as he did. Mercury nodded slowly, "We overran the Vacuo defense with relative ease, hitting the city relatively hard. When Vale and Mistral arrived, however, our forces took heavy hits. But with Roman's help we have restabilized the battlefield," the medic finished.

"Understood, I'm sure Emerald already gave the orders for tomorrow," Mercury was about to fall asleep before the medic spoke up again.

"Only for her forces, yours still need orders," the medic interrupted as Merc finished.

"Ugh, fine," Mercury stood and walked to the tent Emerald had stormed off to to give his orders to his forces.

* * *

"How is he?" Glynda asked the nurse, both of them standing at the foot of Sam's hospital bed.

"He's still with us, surprisingly, though he hasn't gotten any better or worse," the nurse answered. "There is one concerning thing, however."

"What's that?" Goodwitch gave a curious look.

"He's been…acting up throughout the day," the nurse replied.

"What do you mean by acting up?" Goodwitch went from curious to concern.

"His vitals sometimes spike, and electricity flows over his body, even sometimes through the bed and floors," the nurse wasn't helping with her description.

"The bed and floor? Is that even possible?" Glynda's eyes widened.

"Some of the other nurses found that out the hard way," she answered grimly.

"They were hurt?" Goodwitch looked towards Sam who lay motionless.

"Yes, but not severely. I can't help but feel it would be best for this wing of the hospital to be evacuated," the nurse suggested. When Goodwitch shot back her questioning glare at the nurse, she quickly responded, "Just as a precaution! With Sam's power, this could easily get worse as his recovery continues."

The professor sighed, then nodded. "Very well, do what you must." The nurse quickly hurried out of the room, leaving Glynda and Sam alone. "What is up with you?" Glynda asked herself, speaking no louder than a whisper.

"Perhaps it's an emotional response?" a voice startled Glynda and someone ran into the room.

"Oobleck, please, don't do that!" Goodwitch tried to compose herself.

"Terribly sorry, but as I was saying, perhaps his semblance is responding to his emotions?" he offered.

"That doesn't make sense," she responded.

"Well, it could, but only in rare occurrences," he slyly added.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Well, it is usually a historical myth that when two individuals are drawn together so tightly, they can feel what the other person feels. No matter the distance, or consciousness," he spoke as if it were true.

"You are going off of a myth to prove this?" Glynda sweatdropped.

"Well, it is looked at as a myth, however, there is some solid evidence behind it throughout history," he responded, not really seeming to care about her doubt.

"Whatever you say," she turned to leave, with Oobleck following close behind.

* * *

A white figure ran through hundreds of robots, slaying them in an instant. She danced through more, using dust and glyphs as she did so. Eventually, she was the only one left standing in the arena, and she was shocked by hearing a slow clap from above her.

"Excellent work, Ms. Schnee," the man praised, bowing slightly.

"I'm sure you're here for a good reason other than to give me worthless praise, Ironwood," Winter hissed at the General.

"Surprisingly hostile, that is something I don't appreciate Winter," Ironwood sneered back.

"I'm sorry. Now what is it? Is it time?" Winter seemed somewhat apologetic.

"No, it isn't time yet, not by a long shot. I'm merely coming to observe how you're doing and inform you to be ready," Ironwood had a soft smile.

"Ready? For what?" Winter turned her head to the side in curiosity.

"I'll tell you in time. For now, just continue to train. Oh, and tell your father I said hi," Ironwood turned and left, leaving Winter slightly infuriated at Ironwood's vagueness.

 **Hey guys! I know this chapter is pretty short in comparison to the others, but there was some information I wanted to put in before the next day of the battle and not at the end of last chapter, so here we go! Thank you guys for reading this far, I really appreciate it. Next chapter: The battle continues! Whats up with Sam? Will Emerald and Mercury go at each other before the good guys, or is that just some tension? Will Weiss summon?! WHO WOULD WIN IN A RACE?! These are the questions that matter. Well, except that last one. Thank you guys for reading, leaving comments over time, so on. Please, if you enjoyed this story or have critiques, leave a review! I won't know if you like it or hate it if you keep it to yourself! (I can't read minds) Thanks again, and I will see you in the next chapter!**


	15. Chapter 14

A loud explosion woke both Roman and Neo, with the pair jumping into the air and off the bed. They scrambled to their feet and ran outside just as Allied soldiers ran over the makeshift wall the White Fang had constructed last night. "Quick, we need to push them back!" Roman ordered Neo, charging into the mass of soldiers. Neo followed, drawing her blade and slashing through an Allied soldier before running after Roman.

He threw his cane at an Allied soldier, with it hitting his head and bouncing back towards Roman's hand. He then grabbed the handle and beat down three more soldiers with the handle. As more came rushing over the makeshift wall, he flipped the cane in his hand and aimed the end at the wall and fired. The soldiers climbing over were killed instantly, and rubble flew backwards, hitting and killing more.

Neo danced through crowds of soldiers, slashing left and right effortlessly. The allied soldiers tried their best, but Neo was too fast for them, and she finished the ones around her quickly. She heard the explosion by the wall and quickly shot a look over to it just to see even more allied soldiers now filing in through the new hole. She knew this was going bad, and quickly began looking around for Roman to try and retreat.

She grew frustrated with her lack of height and jumped on the shoulder of an allied soldier and looked around for Roman's signature hat. Eventually, she found it and killed the soldier she was standing on before charging through the crowd to get to him.

Roman had just beat down another soldier before he felt a small body crash into him. The two figures fell over onto the ground, with the small figure resting on top of Roman. He looked down onto his chest to see familiar pink and brown hair, and gently tried shaking Neo to get a response, but nothing. He panicked before seeing she had no wounds and most likely hit her head on the way down when she crashed into him. Not wishing to endanger her, he picked her up and started running away from the wall and crowd of soldiers, ordering the White Fang to cover them and retreat along with them. They reluctantly agreed, seeing the situation and fell back quickly.

* * *

"Open fire!" Chaney shouted to her soldiers as they began firing rockets filled with explosive dust at several White Fang vehicles and fortifications. After the explosions settled, each of the soldiers picked up and assault rifle and let out a war cry as they charged in, with Chaney looking over the scene with a smirk.

Her smirk soon faded, however, as the soldiers in front of her were ripped apart by an airship that appeared over the smoldering ruins they were advancing towards. "Take that airship down, now!" she shouted, her orders being lost as the airship launched rockets at their position. Chaney quickly jumped to cover as the rockets collided with the elevated position she was just on and rolled out of the way of any rubble that could be coming down on top of her. "Just great," she muttered to herself, grabbing a pistol and a few dust grenades before coming out of cover and taking a few shots at the airship to get its attention.

The airship did take notice, and quickly began to fire most of its arsenal at her. She ran, ducked, and dodged most of the shots, throwing the grenades she had. Some had been complete misses, but by impossible luck, one had hit one of the engines, throwing the airship off balance and straight into the ground.

"Heh, I guess today is just my lucky day!" Chaney stated aloud, smiling as she stood up.

"I wouldn't say that just yet," A voice stated before Chaney felt a fist collide with her stomach with overwhelming force, knocking the air out of her. She gagged, trying desperately to suck in air as she fell to her hands and knees, unable to look up at her assailant. "The leader of Mistral forces, out in the open. You could have at least made it a bit more challenging to find you," the voice taunted.

Chaney could tell the voice was female and finally managed to look up, seeing a girl with dark skin and mint green hair. "Who…who are you?" she struggled to speak, slowly standing up.

"My name is Emerald, Emerald Sustrai. And I am here to kill you," Emerald smirked, drawing her two blades. Chaney drew her own twin blades off of her back, the sheathes making a "X" shape.

"You can try," Chaney gained her breath and composure back. Before she could even react, Emerald came charging at her, her blades aimed right for her head.

* * *

"So what's the plan?" Jaune asked the group as they met up in the morning.

"We'll rendezvous with Chaney and her forces, and then we'll hunt down Emerald and Mercury and kill them. With their defeats, the White Fang here will be leaderless and will break," Ozpin replied.

"Add Roman Torchwick and his little henchman to the list, I've seen reports that they are in the city too," Qrow sighed solemnly.

"Looks like we have our work cut out for us," Ruby hung her head slightly.

"Yeah, you're right, but you remember what Sam said, right? When we were coming back from picking him up. He said he believed anyone could save the world, even us. He believes in us, and I refuse to let him down," Weiss stated, looking to Ruby with a reassuring look. She perked up immediately, nodded her head with a soft smile. The others nodded as well, and Ozpin dismissed them to their airships to travel into Vacuo.

* * *

"Ironwood, open up!" Winter beat on the door to his laboratory. A few moments of silence passed, and Winter thought she would have to knock again before the door slid open quickly and Ironwood stepped out. The door closed just as quickly, with Winter only getting a glimpse of a large test tube large enough to fit a person.

"What is it, Winter?" Ironwood smiled innocently, trying to play off any questions.

"What is going on? What plans were you talking about before?" Winter questioned anyway. "And what's in those labs of yours?"

"I'm merely testing to see if we could come up with medicine that could heal humans as fast as Tetharans. And for my plans I spoke of earlier, they were merely about the end-game for the war. That, unfortunately, is a long way off, so there is nothing to do for now, besides train," Ironwood responded calmly, with a caring expression.

"How is the war going?" Winter decided just to change the subject, seeing that she would be getting nowhere with the questions about the end-game or his tests.

"Mistral, Vacuo, and Vale forces have met a massive force of White Fang soldiers at Vacuo and have been in combat for the last few days. With the opening that was presented, we have begun launching an invasion to Tethara, Cinder's base camp. The sooner it is captured, the sooner the war ends," Ironwood answered.

"We aren't helping Mistral, Vacuo, or Vale down in Vacuo?" Winter grew concerned.

"Not directly, but we believe that this invasion will draw White Fang forces off of Vacuo and provide our allies an opportunity to wrap up the fight and join in on our charge to Tethara," Ironwood smiled, proud of his plan. Winter saw nothing wrong in his plan, thinking it could actually work and agreed with him. She thanked him for his time and turned back towards the direction of her training grounds, looking forward to testing out some new moves she had been working on.

* * *

Metal clanged loudly as Chaney blocked Emerald's attack, shock waves from the collision forming large cracks in the ground. Emerald smirked and jumped back, staring into Chaney's eyes as she did so. Just as Emerald landed, Chaney and Emerald jumped at each other, clashing again. They continued to clash for several more times until Emerald found the advantage. As their swords collided, she was able to push Chaney slightly off balance and put her on the defensive.

She launched merciless attacks at Chaney's defenses, with Chaney blocking them just as fast as they came. Eventually, they came to another clash with both of them pushing to try and gain the advantage. The tips of Chaney's swords were pointed towards Emerald, and she smirked as they opened up revealing bullet chambers. Emerald saw this at the last second and jumped backwards, blocking bullets as she flew.

Just as Chaney thought she gained the advantage, Emerald threw one of her blades and she discovered they had chains attached. She jumped back as the sword stabbed into the ground, with Emerald pulling herself towards her. As both were flying in the air, Emerald threw her other sword, aiming it at where Chaney was going to land. She made a last second adjustment to dodge away from the sword as it flew right next to her leg. Emerald stood as she landed, pulling her swords out of the ground in one solid motion, then slashing them towards Chaney from both her right and left. She ducked down, the swords cutting some her hair as she fell towards the ground.

Chaney stood up quickly and began firing back at Emerald, who had to dodge quickly as she pulled her swords back to her. Chaney aimed at where Emerald would land from her dodge, loaded fire dust rounds into her swords, and fired. Emerald let out a quick shriek of pain and rolled away from the fire, putting out any flames on her. "You BITCH!" Emerald stood up, the skin on her arms red from the burns.

"For someone who was meant to kill me, you're doing an awful job," Chaney smirked, rushing at Emerald with incredible speed. She reacted slower because of the pain from the burns, but grew used to it as they began another series of clashes. Eventually, they clashed again and held their ground, struggling to go on the offensive. Emerald smiled evilly as she saw an opening, tripping Chaney and slashing down her chest in an instant. Chaney's aura protected her from the strike, but the pain still sent her back rolling as she hit the ground, letting out a cry.

By the time Chaney stood again, she looked to see Emerald's aura healing her burns. They both stood still, catching their breath with their aura sparking over their bodies. Emerald activated her semblance and created an illusion of several blades coming at Chaney instead of just her two. She threw up her swords and tried blocking the imaginary swords and luckily blocked on real one before the other sliced her arm. She made a loud scream, falling to the ground as her aura worked slower to heal her wound than it did to block the first strike. Regardless, she stood up and activated her own semblance, creating a large ring of fire around her and sending it out in a massive wave to try and break the illusion. It worked, as Emerald needed to break concentration to dodge the wave of fire, which she did barely. Her shoes were slightly singed, small flames still on them. The heat caused her feet to burn as well, and she kicked off the shoes without much hesitation and jumped around before falling on her back, wincing at the pain.

Chaney took advantage of this, recovering from the illusion and jumping on Emerald, her blades aimed towards her exposed stomach. Emerald brought her swords up to block, but realized too late that Chaney had her guns aimed right at her head with Emerald blocking. She moved her head and attempted to roll out from underneath Chaney, only for Chaney's swords to slice down her back. She howled out, standing on her still slightly sore feet and put her hand to her back, feeling the warm blood seeping out of the wound.

She felt her vision go red and began throwing everything she had at Chaney, which caught her off guard. She tried to dodge, only for Emerald's swords to lodge themselves into her sides. With one last cry of pain, Chaney collapsed onto her knees, her head hanging. "Now, its time to finish this," Emerald smiled. "You actually gave me a bit of trouble, for a human. Though no one will ever know." She pulled the swords out of Chaney's sides and aimed them at her neck. "Goodbye, Chaney Ashcroft," Emerald muttered, bringing her swords back to finish the fight.

Gunshot.

Emerald look down in surprise, just to see Chaney's swords aimed right at her gut. She didn't notice the pain at first, but felt the blood rushing out from the two fresh holes in her chest. Then pain hit her in a massive wave, crippling her to where she couldn't even let out a scream. She stood shakily, clutching her chest to try and stop the blood flow and ran off. Chaney sit sat on her knees, head hanging. However, she raised it slightly, smiling as she saw Emerald run in defeat. She fell backwards as she heard familiar voices calling her name, and darkness filled her vision.

* * *

Goodwitch had fallen asleep in Sam's hospital room not long after the talk with Oobleck she had. Her heard sparks, which caused her to wake up in an instant, only to see large electric currents flowing over Sam, as well as his bed. Goodwitch quickly ran out of the room as the electricity discharged and shot electric currents throughout his entire room and the hallway beside it.

 _If what Oobleck said could be true, then something bad must be going on in Vacuo,_ Goodwitch thought to herself, recovering from the sight she just witnessed.

* * *

"Chaney!" The group called unanimously as they saw the Mistral leader collapse onto the ground. They ran over, and Qrow immediately picked her up, looking her over for wounds. Taiyang, Ozpin, and the others stood by, watching in horror.

"She's alive, and if we get her medical attention soon she'll be fine," Qrow reported, easing the group's tension. As they spoke, allied soldiers appeared behind them, carrying a stretcher and some bandages to at least help stop the bleeding. They patched her up as best they could and placed her onto the stretcher. They lifted, carrying her back to where they came from.

"Who could have done this to Chaney?" Ruby asked helplessly.

"It was someone with twin swords, and the only one I can think of is Emerald Sustrai," Ren commented, remembering her from the battle of Mt. Glenn. The group nodded their agreement solemnly, now having members of their team attacked by both Emerald and Mercury. Without knowing what else to do, they followed after the allied soldiers to wherever they were taking Chaney to make sure she would be okay.

 **Aaaaaand another chapter in the books! Now we've seen Chaney and Emerald go at it, and for a human Chaney did a pretty good job, in my opinion. Roman and Neo are on the retreat, Chaney's been injured, questions are rising in Atlas, and Sam is now acting up even more. What is going on? What is really behind all of this? What is Cinder up to? How will the battle end? Questions that will be answered probably by the time this book is over. Anyways, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR READING! I'm about to head out of town to visit family, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to write while I'm away. Please, pretty please, with sugar on top, leave a review telling me what you think! I would really appreciate it! I will see you guys in the next chapter!**


	16. Chapter 15

"Well, well, if it isn't Roman Torchwick and his little girlfriend," A mocking call came from Mercury as he entered the White Fang base.

"Go fuck yourself," Roman replied angrily, ignoring him and taking Neo to a medical tent where she could rest.

"You happen to see Emerald out there? She hasn't been back yet," Mercury called after him, only to get no response. "Figures," he sighed to himself only to hear rapid footsteps behind him. He turned as Emerald almost ran straight into him, a stream of blood coming from the corner of her mouth. "Em, are you alright?" Mercury tried to stop her as ran past him, and he thought he saw her crying and shake her head no. Just great, Mercury ran after her into the medical tent to check up their group.

"Merc! What the hell happened to Emerald?" Roman ran over to him as he entered the tent.

"I have no idea, she ran in out of nowhere just after you got in here. She was holding her chest and she was just bloody all over. Oum knows what happened to her," Mercury shrugged his shoulders as he answered.

"Damn, if someone did that to her, this is going to be a lot harder than we thought.

"She must have taken on that Engle kid. He's the only one the enemy has with the power to do that much damage to Emerald," Mercury reasoned, tightening his hand into a fist. "I hope its him, I'm ready to get some payback."

"If Sam did that to Emerald, Oum knows what he'll do to you. Be reasonable Merc, whatever happened is serious. Em could've died," Roman pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't need both you and Cinder lecturing me," Mercury rolled his eyes. "What happened to Neo?" Mercury's tone changed to where Roman couldn't tell if Mercury was actually showing genuine concern.

"The enemy surprised us this morning with a larger force than I could have expected. We fought them off for a while, but once they blew a hole in our defenses, we were overrun. Neo and I were fighting off a large group of them when Neo came to warn me about the breach and got knocked out," Roman retold the story the best he knew.

"Well? Is this force still on its way?" Mercury questioned, not wanting to let Neo and Emerald's injuries distract them from the battle outside of the tent.

"No, we met up with more White Fang in another defensive position and destroyed them before they got any closer," Roman replied coolly.

"Well, at least that's good news. I just hope Cinder doesn't call in to see how we're doing with Emerald hurt like," Mercury was cut off by a soldier running in with a scroll.

"Its Cinder, sir, she wanted to talk with you and Emerald," the soldier replied.

"Thanks," Mercury sighed, taking the scroll and seeing Cinder's face on the screen.

"How goes the battle? I'm sure you've killed the Council and conquered Vacuo by now?" Cinder spoke with a sickly sweet tone and a small smile.

"Vale and Mistral showed up faster than expected. The Council was able to evacuate, and we are dealing with more than double the army we originally faced," Mercury told her bluntly.

Cinder looked very unimpressed, "You look wounded. How exactly did that happen? And I also don't see Emerald with you. Where is she?"

"I was taking out one of Vale's command teams when Ozpin blindsided me. I was at a disadvantage, so rather than putting our chances of victory at risk I evacuated. As for Emerald, she just came running back into camp with major wounds. She was bleeding heavily and we haven't seen her since she ran into the medical tent," Mercury continued unfazed.

Cinder shot a death glare at him, breaking his expression from its calm and uncaring nature to actual fear. "You have disappointed me. Find the Council of Vacuo and kill them. Kill Mistral's commander, Chaney Ashcroft, and Ozpin and his gang. Contact me only when that mission has been completed. You are on your own now Mercury. You're a capable fighter. Start acting like it," Cinder ended the call as she finished talking, the glare never fazing.

Mercury sighed and threw the scroll back at the soldier who gave it to him and looked up at Roman. "Well, what do we do now?" Mercury folded his arms and sat on a nearby table.

"Well, if all we have to do is kill the Vacuo Council, and the commanders from Mistral and Vale, surely they are all in the same place. We just have to find said place," Roman deduced quickly.

"Right, but where do we start?" Mercury seemed interested.

"They wouldn't want to risk the lives of the Council, nor their civilians. So, they must be in a position where they can oversee the battle while not be in combat. Given that, their base must be outside of the city," Roman finished the thought.

"So basically, push towards the outskirts of the city and look around for a base?" Mercury felt this would take more time than necessary.

"No, its not a wild goose chase," Roman rolled his eyes at Mercury's oversight. "I just said that Vacuo wouldn't want to risk their Council anymore, therefore they would be not only out of combat but be the most protected. So, wherever the highest concentration of enemy soldiers is must be the right direction."

"So the strategy here is to charge into the highest concentration of enemy soldiers and break through to their camp?" Mercury asked as if to make sure that was the plan.

"Yes, but we need to make sure Emerald is alright. And once Neo is conscious, we can prepare our forces for the push while Emerald finishes recovering," Roman answered, walking over to the aforementioned unconscious figure.

"Any idea when she'll wake up?" Mercury asked.

As if on cue, Neo's face scrunched up as if in pain and she began to slowly move her limbs. "Hey, its alright, just try to relax," Roman reassured her, resting a hand on her forehead. Neo's eyes opened slowly, immediately closing as bright rays attacked her sight. Eventually, her eyes were fully opened and she sighed in relief as she saw they were safe at the main camp. After sitting up, she waved a polite hello to Mercury who had remained quiet in her awakening. Mercury rolled his eyes and waved back with a small smirk.

"I should go check on Emerald," Mercury stated, walking away from the duo and walking further into the large medical tent. He looked around where he saw the largest group of medics and walked in that direction, their speech confirming his suspicions that Emerald was being treated here. A doctor noticed him and walked over swiftly. "How is she?" Mercury asked as the doctor as he marched over.

"To be honest, it wasn't great when she walked in. But we stopped the bleeding, took out the two bullets which gave her the wounds in her chest, and have been treating her body for burns. Now that the bleeding has stopped from the scratches on her back and the bullet wounds on her chest, everything has calmed down. Her Tetharan healing abilities will get her back on her feet within a few hours, but we may want to wait longer before she re-enters battle," the doctor reported quickly.

"We are about to make a push to the enemy main camp today, when will she be cleared?" Mercury questioned.

"We will know more of her true condition when she wakes up. She blacked out from shock and blood loss, so we just wait patiently for her to wake up," the doctor answered, turning back towards the clump of medics. Rolling his eyes for what seemed to be the thousandth time, he decided to go where she was resting and just wait for when she would wake up.

* * *

"How is she doing?" Jaune asked as the group arrived where Chaney was being treated.

"She will be fine, her wounds looked scary and the blood loss was a concern, but everything is okay," the doctor replied calmly.

"How is that possible? She had deep stab wounds on both of her sides, that should have caused severe internal damages, but all of the sudden its like if she rests up for a few hours she'll be fine," Ren brought up the point and the rest of the group nodded their agreement.

"The wounds on her sides? Those weren't deep at all, and we scanned and so no real internal damage. Even the cut on her arm was small," the doctor seemed confused.

"Understood, doctor, thank you," Ozpin spoke before anyone else could say anything and lead them away.

"That doesn't make any sense, her arm was bleeding heavily and those wounds in her sides were incredibly deep," Pyrrha tried to figure it out loud.

"I think I know what's going on," Ozpin sighed, resting his hands on his cane in front of him. "I read Sam's reports of what happened in Mistral, as well as her story. She became an incredibly talented warrior at an early age for a human, a full-fledged huntress by 15. I believe she is actually Tetharan."

"Chaney…a Tetharan?" a voice from behind them called. Team RWY, JNPR, Qrow, Taiyang, and Ozpin turned to see Seth, Tom, and Port walking over to them still wrapped in bandages.

"It makes sense," Qrow took a drink from his canteen. "If she really took on Emerald and managed to only get a scratch on her arm and get her sides stabbed, and for them to already be healing at an accelerated rate, she's got to be Tetharan. Skill and wit only get you so far on the battlefield, and Chaney's is beyond normal human capacity."

"There must be a reason she hid this from us," Tom looked to the ground and balled his hands into fists.

"Perhaps it was kept secret to protect her from people who opposed Tetharans," Taiyang offered.

"Her father wasn't Tetharan, so why would she be?" Seth fired back.

"Well then that only leaves mommy dearest to be her Tetharan connection," Qrow answered.

"But she doesn't have a…" Seth grew quiet as he spoke.

"Do you know something Seth?" Jaune was the first to break the silence afterwards.

"Sam and I spoke before the final fights in Mistral, and afterwards as well. He said something about Chaney looking familiar to him and I didn't get it at the time. But after we captured Roman, Sam and Chaney questioned him on the possibility of…Cinder…being her mother," Seth hung his head as he released the information.

"Cinder and Ashcroft…no, he would have never done that," Tom shook his head in disbelief.

"Wait, so Chaney doesn't know who her mother is?" Yang stepped in. "That doesn't make sense, because Tetharans remain infants for the first 100 years of their lives. How could she just forget all of that?"

"She has a point," Weiss agreed.

"Perhaps she has some form of amnesia?" another voice called. Everyone turned to see the source of the voice and saw Penny walking over slowly.

"Maybe, but she only remembers the last 15 years of her life. What could've happened 15 years ago to make her forget about the previous 100?" Nora asked.

"Well, Cinder first reappeared 13 years ago, when she killed Sam's parents and my mother," Ruby replied.

"You think the two are related, Rubes?" Yang turned to her younger half-sister.

"It's a long gap in time, 2 years, but it's possible. But it still doesn't make sense when you think about it. Chaney, if she is Tetharan, is 115 years old. Sam is 117 and he was born in the midst of a war. A war that Cinder was supposedly leading the Tetharan Rebellion. Why would she get pregnant then?" Ruby thought out loud, and the others began growing serious and thoughtful faces.

"I have already spoken with Sam about this matter, and for the final time, Cinder Fall is not my mother," An authoritative voice called out and shocked the group from their thoughts. Chaney stood with only a large bandage around her waist as she addressed the group. "If you want to know where I came from so badly I was left out by myself when I was an infant and my father found me and decided to raise me. That's all."

"But you must have had Tetharan parents. Surely you have some memory of them?" Qrow pushed.

"No, okay? I don't have any memory of any other parents. Only Jeff Ashcroft," Chaney answered with some venom.

"I think it would be best to change subjects," an unfamiliar voice called out as a figure approached. He was slightly above average height, and wore a long black trench coat overtop a black shirt, black pants, and black combat boots. He had short, curly black hair and dark amber eyes. He had a lean build, and an ever so slight smirk.

"And who might you be?" Qrow was displeased with the interruption.

"That doesn't matter right now. I'm here with a message from the Council, and they said the White Fang look to be mobilizing. They think it's big, so they sent me here to help you out," the man shrugged his shoulders and placed his hands into the pockets of his trench coat.

"And how're you supposed to be any help?" Qrow pushed.

"Maybe my enhanced strength, speed, and physical ability will reveal why," the man rolled his eyes as his smirk widened.

"The Council had a Tetharan at their disposal and didn't fucking use him? What the hell is wrong with them!?" Qrow's rage showed, most likely enhanced by some of the alcohol he had drunk earlier.

"Qrow, please," Taiyang grabbed Qrow's shoulder and pulled him back to contain him.

"Actually, this may indeed be good news, no matter if the Council should have told us earlier," Ozpin offered a soft smile to the man. "If Chaney is indeed Tetharan, and you are as well, we have once again evened the odds. Mercury and Emerald on one side, and you two on the other."

"Speaking of them, is it true Emerald was the one who attacked you?" Pyrrha asked Chaney politely.

"Yes, it was her. She came out nowhere and attacked me. Apparently it had been her mission to hunt me down," Chaney explained, making sure not to glance at Qrow who still seemed skeptic of her.

"So now both of them have shown themselves…Surely she must have been in bad shape if she ran off while you were weak like that?" Taiyang pushed for more information.

"Yes, I had shot her twice in the chest, right by the heart while I was on the ground. She ran away just a couple of moments before I heard you all and collapsed," Chaney explained.

"If that's the case, perhaps now might be the time to push back," Ozpin thought out loud, taking a drink of his coffee mug he always carried. "Emerald may still recover, but right now she is out of commission. We have two Tetharans, one still injured, but more functional than Emerald most likely is. If we strike now, only Mercury could stop us."

The group mulled it over quietly, thinking out the odds. "No. It's too risky to go for it now," Weiss broke the silence. When everyone glanced questioningly over to her, she continued, "Despite some victories we may have had so far, there is still a very large army in front of us. If we charge forward aiming at Mercury, who knows how many will die in that one reckless act. Sam…Sam got hurt for us so that we could save lives, and I'm not about to cross what he did by needlessly charging forward."

The group nodded their agreements silently, with the other male figure just watching and listening into their conversation. "Hey, wait, you said Sam, right?" The man asked, almost startled by his realization. When Weiss nodded, "Do you mean Sam Engle? He survived?" he asked.

"Yes, why?" Weiss answered, confused.

"The prince is alive? That jerk! He should have known that I made it and at least made contact!" The man stomped his foot in fake anger and had a small laugh about it. The group, however, did not find his comments funny. "I guess I have to come clean now. It's Austin, by the way. My name."

"Keep talking," Qrow stated, unamused.

"Well, when Tethara fell, a lot of the survivors ended up over here in Vacuo.

Most all were civilians, so before you ask, no we don't have an army of Tetharans in reserve. I wanted to try and track down all of the survivors from the war and see about the potential of resettling Tethara. It all stayed quiet, of course, because we knew the other kingdoms would be upset. So the Vacuo Council decided to help me at least track them down, and we've been looking for everyone ever since. Funny enough, the Engles never came up on our radar, so we had to assume they had died," Austin finished, hands still in his pockets.

"Well, unfortunately, the king and queen are dead. Sam's the last one left," Qrow filled him in.

"That is sad to hear. And you also said he was injured?" Austin turned back to Weiss.

"Yes. He sustained life threatening injuries in a battle with a White Fang commander," Weiss spoke with professionalism, despite the feeling of overwhelming sadness.

"Dammit, I just found out he's alive, and now he's dying," Austin sighed and stared up at the sky. "We'll just have to hope he'll be okay."

"He told me he would be," Weiss shifted uneasily, rubbing her arm gently.

"Are you and him…?" Austin didn't need to finish as Weiss grew red. "Well, congratulations, and I'm sorry to hear he's hurt."

"Well, thank you, but things will be fine when this is over and he is still alive," Weiss looked to the ground, both out of embarrassment and sadness.

"I hear that," Austin turned away from the group and started to walk away. "I'm headed back to the Council. If you need me, now you know where to find me." The group watched after him and broke into small groups of conversation.

 **Hey guys! Chapter 15 is in the books. We've got a bit more time before any type of showdown, and whats wrong with a little build up? It actually went a lot longer than I expected, and it was even kinda hard to write at times because of making sure everything is still correct and I'm not contradicting myself. Anyways, Thank you guys for reading! As always, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, critiques, anything, even requests, send me a PM or leave a review! It's literally the only way I can commute anything to you if you want to tell me something. So yeah. If you want to do that, then JUST DO IT. Anyways, thanks again, and I'll see you in the next chapter!**


	17. Chapter 16

Darkness. Sounds of a heart monitor beeping softly in the background. A door opens, closes, and then open and closes again. Footsteps. Distant voices, unclear. Any attempts to move were met by the body not responding. Eventually, she just tried opening her eyes.

Bright rays of sunshine filtered through the window, directly onto Blake's face as she tried to wake up. Her body still didn't move cooperatively, and she discovered she had casts covering parts of her body. A nurse opened the door into her room and saw Blake moving and immediately left the room again. Before Blake even had a chance to think about what the nurse was doing, a doctor and Glynda ran into the room, checking to make sure the nurse was right.

"Ms. Goodwitch…? What's going on?" Blake managed to croak, the doctor offering her a cup of water after she finished.

"You took quite a beating, and eventually ended up unconscious. You were out for a lot longer than anyone could have expected, it's been almost three days," Glynda informed her.

"Three days…? Where is everyone? My team, Team JNPR, Penny, Chaney…oh god, is Sam alright?" Blake grew more nervous with each name she listed.

"Your Team, Team JNPR, Penny, and Chaney have all gone to Vacuo. The White Fang heavily attacked the city with Emerald and Mercury, so they couldn't stay here. As for Sam…he is still alive, yet unconscious and isn't getting any better," Goodwitch replied.

Blake sighed in relief that her friends were okay, but quickly turned to concern about Sam. "He's a Tetharan, why aren't his healing abilities working?" Blake questioned.

"He may have been pushed to where his Tetharan healing capabilities would no longer work, in essence be pushed to a point of no return. But, the fact he is still alive has us hopeful," Glynda sat down in a chair next to the hospital bed Blake was on. During their conversation, the doctor had been taking notes and running a few tests to make sure Blake's vitals were still normal and checking on the progress of her broken bones. He left after Glynda had sat down, and returned shortly with results.

"Your right arm has a slight break here," the doctor pointed, "that has been healing nicely. It'll be another day before we can cut the cast off and put you in a brace, but it'll be as good as new soon if your Aura helps it. The wound on your side is still a concern, and we've operated once to make sure your organs were in their proper places and healing correctly. With all of this, you should be able to walk out of here by tomorrow, and be ready to start fighting again in a few more afterwards," the doctor finished his report.

"Understood, thank you," Blake smiled and nodded her head. "May I go see Sam?" she asked, her smile faltering.

"Of course, allow me and Ms. Goodwitch to help you to your feet and find your balance," the doctor and Glynda stood at the side of the bed, helping lift Blake onto her feet and letting her balance herself before they moved for her to walk on her own.

"Thank you," Blake nodded again and followed Glynda out of the room.

"It'll be a bit of a walk, Sam's on another wing of the hospital," Goodwitch warned.

"Why is that?" Blake asked curiously.

"He's been…acting up," Glynda replied. She told Blake about what had been happening with his episodes and shocking some nurses and potentially exploding.

"What?! How's that possible? Why is he doing that?" Blake questioned intensely.

"We don't know how its possible, and he isn't doing it consciously, we believe its his emotions reacting to…whatever is going on in Vacuo," Glynda felt embarrassed to agree with Oobleck's theory, but had no other valid argument.

Blake was also skeptical of this explanation, but followed along with it as she thought Glynda wouldn't say anything without thinking it through. "So now what?" she asked Goodwitch.

"For now, you heal, and then I will take us over to Vacuo to assist!" Oobleck came roaring up behind them, startling both of them into almost falling over.

"Dammit, Oobleck, stop doing that!" Glynda checked to make sure Blake was okay as she scolded him.

"My apologies. But yes, you still need to heal, and Vacuo can use all of the help it can get. Besides, I'm sure you are looking forward to showing your team you are alright," Oobleck smiled softly and lowered his head so Blake could see his eyes behind his glasses.

"Yes, I would like to help in any way I can, and let them know I'm okay," Blake smiled back as Oobleck straightened up and fixed his glasses back in place.

"Right then! Are you two off to see Sam?" Oobleck asked knowingly.

"Yes, I'm assuming you'd like to come with us?" Glynda knew his answer already.

"Of course! Both to check on him and see if his body still has similar outbursts. It would be good to study," Oobleck began walking past the two girls, with them following behind slowly.

* * *

A sharp inhale woke up Mercury from his small nap as he looked to see Emerald waking up. "Hey, Em," Mercury said, no mocking in his tone or disappointment,

"Merc? Am I okay? What's going on?" Emerald asked quickly, concern growing to almost a panic attack.

"Em, relax, the docs said you're fine. As for the battle, we're prepping to head out in a few hours to hunt down the Vacuo Council," Mercury responded calmly. Emerald breathed a deep sigh of relief and leaned back down onto the bed she was on, staring up at the ceiling of the tent. "Who did this to you, Em?" Mercury asked softly.

"The Mistral Commander, Chaney Ashcroft," Emerald admitted without breaking her stare on the ceiling.

"Wait, it wasn't Sam?" Mercury seemed surprised.

"No, it wasn't Sam. I found her on the front lines trying to push us back and surprised her. Somehow she was able to keep up with me and just when I thought I had her dead, she shot me in the chest," Emerald continued, faltering near the end.

"It's alright, Em, we'll get some payback on her later," Mercury was cut off.

"No. Not later. I want to kill her now," Emeralds gaze hardened to a glare at the ceiling, unblinking.

"You're still injured, and the docs need to ask you some questions and run a few tests to see if you're cleared for battle before you can do anything, so calm down and just let yourself heal," Mercury placed a hand on her shoulder and glared at her forcefully until she sighed in defeat and nodded her head. "Besides, we don't know if we'll start heading towards the Vacuo Council today anyway. Roman and I will sort it out, you just get better," Mercury ordered, turning to leave.

"Understood, Merc," Emerald closed her eyes as Mercury left, only for them to open again as doctors ran in after Mercury left.

* * *

"You think Sam knew that guy?" Ruby asked Weiss as they broke off into their own group with Yang and Penny.

"Well, from what he said, it sounds like it," Weiss confirmed, nodding her head.

"I guess Sam just didn't bring him up because of how many Tetharans had died already," Yang let out a sigh.

"Perhaps he also just forgot about him?" Penny suggested.

Something clicked in Weiss' head, "No, that's not possible."

"What do you mean?" Ruby had a curious look at Weiss' realization.

"I remember, a while back, when Sam was in class with me, he said something along the lines of _Tetharans never forget anything_ ," Weiss answered, it taking a minute to have an effect on the others.

"So then why can't Chaney remember the first 100 years of her life?" Yang caught on.

"All evidence points to her being Tetharan except this one glaring contradiction. Maybe she isn't Tetharan, and just a really rare and exceptionally talented human," Weiss tried to reason and couldn't.

"What if Sam was just wrong?" Penny challenged.

"Why would Sam lie to us Penny? Yes he might have said that nonchalantly, but he must think that to be common knowledge, when in actuality, it isn't," Weiss answered.

Penny nodded, accepting Weiss' reasoning. "Then there must have been some action to cause the amnesia," Penny responded.

"It's one of the few theories that makes any sense. Cinder is the only current candidate to be her mother, and unless Mr. Ashcroft was Tetharan, which we know he wasn't, then he couldn't be the biological father. So, all we can figure from that is Cinder got pregnant from some unknown figure, gave birth to Chaney, and around her 100th birthday, did something to cause her amnesia and left her to fend for herself," Weiss pieced together out loud.

"I didn't think it was related earlier, but Cinder's attack on Sam's parents and our family must have something to do with Chaney's amnesia," Ruby added, thoughtfully trying to make sense of it.

"You think Cinder decided to finish the job she started, threw out her kid, and hunted down the Engles for two years?" Yang didn't mean to down Ruby's theory, but it didn't seem entirely plausible.

"Well, until we receive other evidence, it is all we can say for now," Penny ended the discussion, turning their attention to other topics.

* * *

Austin finished his report to the Council and left their quarters, looking on Vacuo from the distance of their camp along a cliff-side next to the city. Who would've known that the one thing humanity fought to stop would still be happening now? Austin chuckled darkly to himself. Though, I guess they did have reason to not trust Tetharans, he noted, hearing that the enemy commanders were also Tetharan.

He remembered the war, having been born just before the Tetharan Civil War occurred. His family was of a similar descent of the Engle's, so they were trusted greatly and given their own areas of the kingdom to lead. Being trusted by the Engle family led them to also be high value targets, causing many casualties. He and his direct family, including both of his parents and a younger sister, had been in Tethara at the end of the Remnant Civil War, and were there when it fell to the Remnant forces. Austin shuddered at the thought, still a Tetharan infant at age 20. He remembered running along with his parents and his sister before the parents stayed behind to fight of some Remnant forces while he and his sister got away. Austin had not seen them again, and came to the realization they had died. He looked after his sister for many years before he let her go and live her own life away from his home in Vacuo.

He was snapped out of his trance by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him, and he turned to see Chancellor Pierce standing there, looking tired. "Pierce, what can I do for you?" Austin asked politely, snapping to attention as he did so. He knew he didn't have to be so formal with the Chancellor, seeing that he had known her all of her life. Pierce was the granddaughter of the first Chancellor that he had met after the fall of Tethara, and the daughter of the Chancellor after the first had passed. He had noted it was a lot like a monarchy, except without the proper title of king or queen, and without the absolute power.

"Nothing major, just came to talk. Being the Chancellor is quite the unfortunate and busy business," Pierce sighed, rubbing her eyes and joining Austin looking over Vacuo. "I'm sure they've told you by now."

"Who? And about what?" Austin knew the answer already, but decided to go with the clueless approach.

"Our friends from Vale. I know they've told you about Sam," Pierce saw through the clueless act and gave a short glare.

"Yeah, yeah, they did. So what?" Austin rolled his eyes and looked back to Vacuo.

"Well, now that you know where the last of the royal family is, what are you going to do?" Pierce didn't bother looking at Austin and kept her gaze focused on Vacuo.

Austin knew the question was coming, but hoped it wouldn't until he found an answer. "I don't know, not yet anyway. We've only just discovered he's alive, and injured to add to that. So, until I meet with him myself, there isn't much of anything to do right now," he replied honestly.

"So after this is over, you'll be leaving?" Pierce asked, her stare at the city faltering slightly.

"For a while, probably. Though there is still a war to fight, so I can't really do anything about resettling Tethara, considering we still have to take it back," Austin joked.

"I guess you do have a point," Pierce sighed, turning back towards where the Council was located. "That's all I had to ask, so if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the boring stuff."

"I'd take sitting and talking over being shot at," Austin pointed out.

"Well I've had both of those things happen to me over these past couple days, so I couldn't really tell you which one is worse," Pierce called behind her with a small smile. Austin smiled back, and returned to his watch over Vacuo.

* * *

"Well? Are we ready?" Mercury asked Roman as he met with him and Neo nearby the main camp in the command post.

"Everything is set to kick off tomorrow morning. We'll have everyone up early and won't look back until the Council is dead," Roman answered. Mercury wished to move sooner than that, but trusted Roman's judgement and went to rest before the beginning of the end.

 **And that is it for Chapter 16. It all kicks off(as a certain Brit would put it) in Chapter 17! Thank you guys so much for reading, and if you have any questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, anything at all, leave a review or message me. Thanks, and I will see you in Chapter 17!**


	18. Chapter 17

Unholy screams and the sounds of explosions and gunfire is what greeted Austin as he awoke from his slumber. He quickly ran out to the cliff he had been watching the city from last night to see that the fighting had resumed. He sighed, dropping his hands into his pockets. "It is good that war is so terrible, for we should grow too fond of it," a voice from behind him called. He turned to see Pierce walking in his direction, and he rolled his eyes in response.

"Didn't know you were a fan of theatre," Austin called in response. The play he was referencing spoke of the tragedy of a Mistral Civil War that taken place long ago before the conflict of the Remnant Civil War.

"Its one of my favorites, though tragic," Pierce laughed hollowly. "You heading down there?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go see if our friends from Vale are still at camp and head for the city," Austin confirmed.

"Alright," Pierce nodded her head. She walked to the cliff's edge with Austin, staring blankly at Vacuo. "Do you think they will write plays and songs of our tragedy as well?"

"I'm no playwright, so don't ask me," Austin chuckled. "But let's make sure that there are people left who can do those things in the future. Besides, wouldn't you love to see how they would portray you on stage?"

"Very funny," Pierce gave a more genuine laugh. "They'd probably get me all wrong as either some damsel in distress or war hero."

"Indeed," Austin mused, turning away from the cliff. "Well I'm off," he waved as he walked away.

"Stay safe out there!" Pierce shouted after him, but in an instant he was gone. "Dammit," Pierce stormed off back to the Council.

* * *

"You ready to go?" Yang asked Ruby as she walked out of the tent she had slept in.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and giggled a little bit.

"Well alright then. Come on, the others have already headed out to the main camp," Yang waved her in the direction of where the others headed and began walking. Ruby quickly fell in line next to her sister and walked with her until they saw the others standing in a circle around Ozpin.

"I won't lie to you, reports from the front lines show that the White Fang is headed straight for us. They woke early and have applied plenty of pressure and have built up a lot of momentum. They also have Mercury and Emerald spear-heading the advance. If we are to stop the White Fang now, we must defeat Emerald and Mercury and halt their advancement," Ozpin spoke loudly and clearly, so even other soldiers not in the circle turned and listened to him. "The odds aren't great, and we have no way to guarantee your survival. But for our success we need everyone's strength and will to win. If we lose here, there is no way we will win anywhere else. This battle, will ultimately decide the way the war ends. If we lose this battle, we will lose the war. If we win this battle, we will push the remaining enemy survivors into Tethara and be able to end this once and for all. They say history is written by the victors, well let's make sure we're the ones writing!"

The sizeable group that surrounded Ozpin cheered and readied their gear to take down the enemy. Ozpin didn't need to say anything else, and simply pointed towards Vacuo, and the crowd erupted in a charge. Austin arrived just as the majority of the group, aside from Ozpin, Qrow, and Taiyang had left. "I guess we're off to war?" Austin asked them.

"Nowhere else to go now," Qrow responded, turning and speeding off after the crowd. Taiyang simply nodded, and the three of them took off after the others.

* * *

Swords sliced through soldiers as Emerald ran ahead, with Mercury, Roman, Neo, and an army of White Fang behind her. Mercury kicked a few who approached him, knocking them back into nearby ruined buildings. Roman fired as he ran, with Neo following right behind him and slicing through any survivors.

"We need to keep moving! We can make it all the way to the Council as long as we keep the momentum!" Roman called out to the others, with the others simply responding with a nod. A few explosion rang out in front of them, who quickly moved out of the way to avoid any shrapnel flying towards them. Roman looked to see the allied forces begin charging back at them. "Take them out! If we lose our momentum now, we might never get it back!" Roman shouted, rapidly firing his cane and charging at the approaching troops. The White Fang forces behind the four of them gave battle cries and charged after him, with the others keeping pace at the front, firing as they went.

As the two armies grew closer together, the fighting grew that much more intense until finally they clashed together in a large clearing that used to be the city center. Roman cleared out groups at a time with his blast, Neo danced through crowds, slitting throats as she went, Emerald cut down chunks of soldiers at a time with her chains, and Mercury jumped on top of the mass of fighting soldiers and stomped down on their head, firing a shotgun shell into their skulls.

Soldiers punched, kicked, dust grenades went off, tanks and vehicles entered the fight, killed, and were destroyed, and shot the weapons into each other. This would go down as the bloodiest conflict of the war, rivaling the Battle of Tethara one hundred years earlier, in which an entire race was threatened to be destroyed. Team RWY, Team JNPR, Ozpin, Qrow, Taiyang, Seth, Tom, Chaney, Penny and Austin looked over the conflict solemnly. "So many people," Weiss sighed, shaking her head.

"Come on, let's get down there with reinforcements to turn the tide," Austin opened his trench coat, allowing four different blades to fly out and surround him. One was a katana that changed into a sniper rifle, one was a claymore that changed into a shotgun, one was a short sword that changed into an SMG, and the last was a scimitar that changed into an assault rifle. They were named Sitsi, Ekemos, Mukki, and Arank respectively.

"Right. Ruby, your team will take the right side. Jaune, your team will take the left. Penny, you and Tom go with Ruby. Seth, you'll go with Jaune. Everyone else, we'll take the middle," Ozpin gave his orders and pointed at the mass with his cane. "Charge!"

Each team followed their orders, and another mass of soldiers behind them appeared, charging into the clearing behind them. Ruby rushed forward with her scythe, clearing a path as Weiss shot in from one of her glyphs and ran through a line of White Fang. Yang propelled herself forward by shooting her gauntlets behind her and smashed into a White Fang soldier. Another soldier came up and pulled on her hair as she was recovering, and as she felt her hair getting tugged, her eyes turned from lilac into a deep red and she punched the soldier in his private area, standing up with her hair on fire afterwards. The other soldiers nearby ran off as they saw her begin to glow with flame, but didn't get far as Yang chased them down. Penny summoned the swords from her little backpack and launched them at approaching enemies, stabbing them and tossing them to the side. Tom simply shrugged his shoulders and fired into a crowd with an assault rifle soldiers filed in behind him.

"Everyone, up!" Jaune unfolded his shield and both Jaune and Pyrrha put up their shields to use at platforms for their teammates to jump into the battle with. Seth was the first to jump up, followed by Nora and Ren. Jaune left his shield up as a platform for Pyrrha and then charged after his team by cutting through a White Fang soldier.

Seth pulled out Aerial Crusader and slammed down into a crowd. Nora fired grenades into the distance and smashed her hammer onto a White Fang soldier's head, and Ren landed next to her, slicing of the head of another soldier and firing Storm Flower at more approaching. Pyrrha sniped a few as she was in the air and then threw her shield and spear down at two soldiers, using her polarity to pull them back to her.

Qrow pulled out his scythe in its sword mode, blocking bullets and beating down any soldier who approached him, while Taiyang flew by him with his fists flying and smashing the faces and bones of the enemy. Chaney pulled out her dual swords and pointed them at soldiers, firing as she walked next to Qrow, and Ozpin followed behind them, with any bullets being fired at him being destroyed by a green shield around him. Any soldier who dared to come up to him was brutally beaten by his cane and sent flying out of the clearing. Austin followed Ozpin, with his swords floating around him deflecting any bullets and Austin firing back by picking whichever fit the need at the moment.

Weiss sliced through another enemy, dispatching him quickly before freezing at the sight behind the soldier. Emerald stared at her, and a dark smile formed on her lips. Quickly, Ruby and Yang rushed next to Weiss and aimed their weapons towards Emerald.

"This will be fun."

* * *

"Has he really been out all this time?" Blake asked helplessly, sitting down in a chair next to Sam's hospital bed.

"Unfortunately, that seems to be the case," Glynda replied sadly. Sam's body had begun to fidget again, with small electric currents rippling over his muscles.

"Is he going to survive?" Blake questioned, looking over to Sam's face.

"The doctors do not know. But he has made it this far, which was much longer than the doctors had predicted him getting," Oobleck stated optimistically.

Blake reached to touch Sam's arm just before, "Watch out!" Glynda shouted. Blake jumped back as electricity shot up to try and reach the place where her hand had once been.

"So he really is all charged up," Blake sighed.

"That is strange, you would assume that if he truly has this much electricity stored in his system, he would begin healing again," Oobleck moved over to the machines reading Sam's vitals and studied them closely.

"We thought the same thing," the nurse who had spoken with Weiss before the battle of Vacuo came into the room. "With all of the discharges he's been having, and the amount his body seems to have stored, he should be recovering like a normal Tetharan. However, it's not the case."

"Perhaps, maybe the charged up electricity is what is preventing him from healing?" Oobleck offered.

"What on Remnant do you mean?" Glynda questioned hotly.

"I mean perhaps these discharges and stores of incredible energy are like a volcano. They build up, and up, until finally they explode. Yes, the land around them is ruined and damaged, but life regrows. Maybe this is similar," Oobleck calmly replied.

"We've never had a case like that before, and if Sam did end up using that much electricity stored inside him as an explosion, there would be very little chance he, or any of us, would survive the sheer power and area of the blast," the nurse took the place of Oobleck checking the vitals, and they all secretly prayed that the explosion would never come.

* * *

Jaune and Pyrrha were thrown into each other, now standing back to back with their swords and shields at the ready as they were surrounded by White Fang soldiers. "Let's do this, together," Jaune smiled at Pyrrha, and she nodded with a smile on her face as well. They both jumped out to the circle of enemies surrounding them and jumped back and forth, trading sides each time, throwing soldiers in all directions.

After some had been cleared out, Jaune came to a stop as Pyrrha finished off another. As another line of them were coming up, Jaune looked over to Pyrrha and put his shield up facing them, indicating that he wanted her to use it as a platform to propel towards the line and take them out. She nodded and jumped onto the shield, pushing off and using her polarity to get more distance, smashing through the line and knocking them out. Pyrrha landed and turned back to Jaune to wave that she was okay, just to see something flash behind Jaune.

Mercury appeared behind Jaune and kicked him directly in the back, sending him down into the ground face first with a loud and sickening _thud_. The gunshot that was fired into Jaune's back still rang in Pyrrha's ears and her mind went blank. She thought she heard herself scream out Jaune's name, behind could only remember charging at Mercury and throwing both her shield and spear at him and calling them back to her after they had hit him. Mercury retreated back away from Jaune, and Ren and Nora appeared beside their teammates after hearing Pyrrha's scream from the distance.

"You have no one to protect you from me now."

* * *

"Great, Mercury and Emerald have gone target hunting on the weaklings, leaving the big, bad huntsmen to me and Neo," Roman sighed, firing his cane into an allied soldier's helmet. "How do you wanna handle this ole buddy, ole pal?"

Neo held her hands apart and then clasped them together, trying to tell him to bring Mercury and Emerald to fight in the same area. "I guess that could work, but if we keep the enemy spread out it will be easier to take them down," Roman replied.

Neo cocked her head to the side and gave him an incredulous stare. "Yes, okay, I get it, that's what we've done to ourselves. Alright, let's see if we can lead this last group into the other two," Roman looked over at where Ozpin, Qrow, Taiyang, Austin, and Chaney were fighting.

He quickly and silently ran up to them from one side while Neo approached from the other. Roman fired at Qrow as he was going by, while Neo threw Taiyang off balance and onto the ground. Qrow was able to block the shot but was still knocked back by the explosion following the shot. Chaney ran over to go and help Taiyang up while Ozpin, Qrow, and Austin looked to see where their assailants had gone. Roman fired another shot at Ozpin's back while Neo jumped and kicked Chaney and Taiyang in the back of the head, knocking them both down before Neo and Roman disappeared into the crowd of soldiers. As Taiyang and Chaney stood up, Roman flashed by again but didn't fire this time. Taiyang's eyes practically turned red and shouted, "Get back here you bastard!" at Roman and charged after him

"Tai, no!" Qrow shouted at his brother-in-law. "Dammit, let's go get him." Ozpin nodded and they followed behind where Taiyang had taken off.

"That was easier than I expected," Roman huffed as he ran, looking to see Neo smiling and nodding her head at him. "Come on, just a little bit further!"

* * *

Emerald threw her blades at the three girls before her, using her illusions to make it appear like more to Weiss. Ruby and Yang dodged to the side as Weiss put up a glyph helplessly in an attempt to block the blades. It succeeded, but the chains attached to the blades went around the glyph and wrapped themselves around her legs and pulled her down onto the group and towards Emerald.

"WEISS!" Ruby jumped towards Emerald with Crescent Rose fully extended, aiming the strike at her chest. Emerald smirked and jumped over where Ruby landed her strike, kicking her in the back on the head and pushing off into the air. Weiss continued to be dragged onto the ground until being lifted up into the air along with Emerald and slammed back into the ground as she landed.

"Leave them alone!" Tom decked Emerald in the face as she turned to see where the source of the voice came from. Penny knocked Emerald back further with her swords as Ruby was slow to rise with a sore back. Yang ran over to her sister before joining Tom and Penny in distracting Emerald while Ruby ran to go see Weiss.

"Weiss! Please be okay," Ruby cried as she rolled her partner off of her stomach and onto her back. She had cuts and bruises on her exposed skin, and her eyes were screwed shut in pain. No bones had appeared to be broken, and she seemed to have aura left, so she would be alright.

"I'm fine, dunce," Weiss eventually opened her eyes, panting. "Help me up, would you?"

Ruby happily helped Weiss to her feet as she dusted off her combat skirt and readied Myrtenaster. "Come on, the others need our help," Ruby turned back to where the others were fighting to see Yang get beaten down by Emerald.

"Right," Weiss prepared a glyph under her, focusing until she shot herself forward with ice dust prepared in her rapier. She sliced at Emerald's arms, causing them to be frozen for a moment, before Ruby shot forward and got a direct hit on her, knocking her down and shattering the ice.

As Emerald stood, an explosion behind them distracted each of those involved with the fight as they turned to see Roman, Neo, Taiyang, Qrow, Chaney, Austin, and Ozpin. "Oh, what a coincidence! Didn't think I would run into you Em," Roman said sarcastically, walking over to Emerald with Neo as the good guys regrouped.

"What are you doing here Roman? We were going to take them down one by one, remember?" Emerald stared at him furiously.

"Well that wasn't working. So we're going to take them down together, which means we need to go get Merc," Roman replied, looking around the battlefield until he saw him in the distance.

"Fine. Oh, and Roman?" Emerald stated, with Roman glancing over at her, "Never call me Em again." If looks could kill Roman would be 12 feet under with the glare Emerald gave him. In response, he simply shrugged, and took off towards Mercury. Neo and Emerald followed, with the good guys not knowing what else to do but follow.

* * *

Mercury knocked back Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha effortlessly, kicking Ren into the ground and Nora and Pyrrha into each other. Jaune was still down on the ground and there had been no sign of Seth yet. The remaining three assumed the worst, that Mercury killed him before dealing with them, when suddenly Mercury was nailed and knocked down with a forceful shotgun blast.

"Seth, thank the gods!" Pyrrha sighed relief at the sight of a friendly face.

"Go and make sure Jaune is okay! Nora, you take care of Ren! Mercury is mine to deal with," Seth glared daggers at Mercury.

"Couldn't get enough of me the last time we fought?" Mercury smirked as he stood up, holding out his arms as if welcoming a challenge.

"I won't fall so easily again," Seth continued to glare as he reload Aerial Crusader.

"Well, let's see about that!" Mercury said as he jumped towards Seth, with him jumping towards Mercury as well. Just as they clashed, the others roared into the fight, with Emerald, Roman, and Neo pulling Mercury back and the good guys rallying together and checking their injured.

"What are you guys doing? This isn't how it was supposed to go!" Mercury now glared at the three who pulled him back.

"Trust me, this was the way to get it done. Now, the entire enemy command outside the Council stands before us. Let's take them out," Roman calmed Mercury ever so slightly.

"Are you all alright?" Ozpin took a quick head count, seeing that Weiss, Ruby, Yang, Tom, Pyrrha, and Nora had taken minor injuries while Ren and Jaune had been more severely injured.

"We'll make it," Ruby reported.

"So that's the enemy we're supposed to destroy?" Austin looked them over, deciding which weapon would be best for this kind of combat.

"Yeah, that's them. Be on your guard, they're the ones who killed the King and Queen of Tethara," Qrow answered him.

"Then I will gladly end them," Austin smirked and grabbed Mukki, the shotgun claymore.

"Wait, is that everyone you've got?" Mercury called over to them.

"What does it matter?" Chaney shouted back.

"Well, where is the dear old prince?" Mercury taunted.

"None of your business, freak!" Weiss shouted with fierce anger.

"Ohh, a touchy subject? He must have gotten himself killed, so Adam really did end up doing something, didn't he? Oh, and that emo friend of yours is gone as well! He really did a number on you!" Mercury continued.

"Shut your mouth, or I will GLADLY do it for you," Weiss pointed her rapier at him as a giant glyph appeared on the ground. The ground shook, and fighting throughout the clearing halted as everyone turned to see the massive glyph.

"What are you gonna do, princess? Talk me to death? You're as worthless in battle as your dead boyfriend's existence!" Mercury pulled the last straw.

Weiss' vision went red as she yelled and the clearing was filled with blinding white light. As the light slowly faded, everyone looked up with eyes widened and mouths hung open. Some dropped to their knees while others dropped their weapons. Mercury, Emerald, Roman, and Neo quickly took steps back and looked up. Even the group of good guys behind Weiss had to rush back and look up. Standing there, in the middle of the cleared, was a massive knight in white armor, carrying a large broad sword. On top of the head of this knight stood Weiss who stared death down onto the four main enemies before her.

"This place will be your grave."

 **And that's the end of chapter 17! Weiss summoned! And she summoned a biggen. How will our foes react? What happens with the battle now? What's going on with Sam? All questions that will be answered probably next chapter? Who knows! Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading! Please, please, pretty please leave a review with any questions, comments, criticisms, suggestions, whatever. Though if ya want to ask a question just PM me and I'll respond as quickly as possible. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I will see you all in the next one!**


	19. Chapter 18

"Ms. Goodwitch, we've received reports that the fighting has resumed in Vacuo, and we've got live video footage. You all are going to want to see this," a soldier came into the room after the nurse left.

"Bring it up on that screen," Glynda pointed to the TV on the wall across from Sam's hospital bed. The live feed came up, showing the ruined and body covered battlefield. Everyone held their breath as they saw a massive white knight standing in the middle, staring down who they saw to be Emerald, Mercury, Roman, and Neo.

"What in the world is that?" Oobleck stared at the knight curiously.

"Weiss has the ability to summon, though she had never really been able to do it often. Something must have pushed her into summoning that," Blake explained.

"She's about to take on Emerald, Mercury, Roman, and Neo. We have to stop her before she gets herself killed," Glynda stood to leave.

"No, sit down," Oobleck stood in her way. "Even if we left for Vacuo now, it would take far too long to reach them. Unfortunately all we can do now is remain here and watch the conflict."

"What do you mean? I'm not sitting around watching my students get killed," Glynda tried to shove Oobleck out of the way with limited success.

"If we go Vale will be leaderless. If we go now we will most likely arrive long after the fight is over. There is nothing we can do but remain here and continue to lead our forces," Oobleck gave her a sympathetic look. "Believe me, I wish to after them as well, but unfortunately there isn't anything I, you, or Blake can do to help them now."

Glynda sighed in defeat and returned to a chair by Sam's bedside. Blake looked at both of the professors solemnly before returning her gaze to the TV screen.

* * *

Ironwood's eyes widened as he watched the live feed of the battle at Vacuo. Winter and Anselm were with him after hearing that they could finally see what was going on, and to their horror they saw the large knight Weiss had summoned.

"We can summon?" Winter turned to her father questioningly.

"Your mother could, but I could not. I guess it is simply a trait passed through the Schnee women," Anselm mused with interest.

"Penny, do you copy?" Ironwood looked at his right forearm where a small video communications link was. Penny's somewhat smiling face appeared, waving at Ironwood. It appeared she was behind the allied group so the others hadn't noticed Ironwood called. "What is happening over there?"

"We engaged the enemy earlier this morning, and our group split into three individual groups. All of us were either attacked by Mercury, Emerald, or Roman and Neo. After a minor scuffle, we all met up and began preparing for the confrontation. Mercury taunted Ms. Schnee about Sam's condition, and in her rage she summoned this massive knight," Penny reported.

"Understood, try to keep us informed. We're watching a live feed of the battle, but make sure to keep us updated on anything we might miss," Ironwood ordered with a gentle smile at his creation.

Penny smiled back and nodded, "Of course sir, I will do my best!" Directly after she said the, Ironwood closed the line and turned back towards the large screen that he, Anselm, and Winter were watching in his office.

"Do you think they will be okay?" Winter asked timidly.

"Without Sam, I do indeed fear for not only their victory but for their safety," Anselm started. "However," he added, "I believe they will win and hand the enemy the defeat they deserve so dearly."

Winter nodded her head with more confidence, and they turned their gaze back towards the feed.

* * *

"Whoa," is all that came out of Mercury's mouth.

"Whoa? Yeah, whoa! Look at the size of that fucking thing!" Roman stared up in disbelief.

"You sure did piss her off, Merc," Emerald smirked. "I guess that just makes this all the more interesting."

"I-interesting?! You plan on fighting that thing?" Roman shouted at the two of them. Even Neo was showing concern.

"You got any better ideas?" Mercury reloaded his boots.

"Yes! Run! Live to see another day! Still have a chance of surviving, let alone the war!" Roman rattled off as many as he could think of before Emerald stopped him.

"You aren't Tetharan. You stay back and keep Neo safe, we'll handle the heiress and her abomination," Emerald gave Roman a comforting look.

"How do you even know you can take it down?" Roman questioned.

"With all this firepower around us and Merc and I's ability? Give me a couple minutes and I'll have the heiress on her knees," Emerald smirked up at the head of the knight.

"Whatever, go get yourselves killed, I'll go prepare the surrender," Roman tugged on Neo's jacket and ran back away from the knight.

Weiss' eyes narrowed and she lunged the Knight's sword forward at Roman and Neo as they ran. Emerald saw it coming and threw her chains around the sword and held it in place away from Roman and Neo. Weiss sighed and simply lifted the Knight's sword dragging Emerald off the ground before swinging her around and throwing her into the ground.

"How do you like the taste of your own medicine?" Weiss spat down at them.

"Believe it or not, I actually don't," Emerald glared up while Mercury laughed.

"She totally owned you. Sit back, relax, and watch a master at work," Mercury jumped on top of the Knight's sword and began running up the blade and the Knight's arm.

"What should we do?" Ruby asked frantically, watching as Mercury blocked a punch from the knight before getting shaken off.

"We do nothing, because now we will only get in the way," Ozpin sighed. "We need to clear out our troops, I can see Roman has already gotten started on that for the White Fang. The faster we get them out, the more lives we can save." Everyone nodded their heads and began pulling back to rally their troops to safety.

Meanwhile, Mercury began firing up at Weiss, attempting to snipe her off of the top while she simply blocked it with glyphs. Emerald moved to get up and help, but Mercury shouted, "She's mine! Go take care of the others!" Emerald rolled her eyes, picking up her weapons, and followed after Ozpin's group.

"Guys, watch out, Emerald's on her way!" Yang reported. Nora and Pyrrha, who were carrying their injured comrades, continued on ahead while others turned to see if she was right.

After confirming it, Austin stepped forward from the crowd, grabbing Arank, his assault rifle schimitar, telling them, "You guys keep going. I'll keep her busy."

"Are you sure?" Taiyang questioned while the younger ones began taking off.

"More sure than I've been my entire life. Get going, I'll be with you once she's dead," Austin smirked and charged at Emerald. Ozpin, Qrow, and Taiyang who remained followed after their comrades after watching Emerald and Austin clash.

"Eat this!" Mercury jumped up and slammed his mechanical right foot down onto the Knight's blade, effectively knocking it out for a few moments while Mercury rushed down onto the Knight's head. Weiss narrowed her eyes again and prepared a ring of glyphs around them, jumping onto one and bouncing off of the others, picking up speed and striking Mercury faster than he could block.

Eventually, Weiss nailed him in the chest with her heel, sending him off of the Knight. She quickly used the Knight to catch Mercury as he fell, following by smashing him into the ground, sending a massive shockwave through the dirt.

As the dust settled, things were quiet for a moment before two shotgun shots forced the Knight's hand to be lifted off of Mercury, buying him time to escape and regain his bearings. "Alright, maybe this'll be a bit tougher than I thought," Mercury sighed, looking for a weakness on the Knight. _If I can't knock her off the Knight, maybe I should knock the Knight out from under her!_ He looked down to the legs and thought about how he could trip it. He glanced over to where Emerald was fighting Austin, currently in a clash to gain the offensive advantage. "Em!" Mercury shouted, jumping over to them and trying to kick Austin back, just to be blocked by the other swords that floated around Austin.

Emerald was able to gain the advantage from the slight distraction Mercury caused, pushing Austin back. As Emerald looked at Mercury questioningly, her eyes widened as she grabbed him and ran out of the way of the Knight's sword strike. "What is it, Merc," she panted, happy to have dodged in time.

"I think I know how to bring down that Knight, but we're gonna need to get rid of trench coat guy first," Mercury replied, looking around the clearing for anything that could be useful.

"So we just dodge Weiss and knock out the other guy?" Emerald clarified.

"Yes, now let's go!" Mercury and Emerald charged forward as they dodged another strike from the Knight. They looked to find Austin when he appeared in front of them, slicing Arank at them. They both dodged to either side, quickly rebounding and launching their weapons at him. Austin turned and blocked Mercury as Emerald's blades were caught by the other three swords floating around Austin.

"Okay, that guard ability is getting really annoying," Emerald muttered as the pulled the weapons back towards her. Mercury tried to fire a few more shots at Austin, but to no avail. He looked around to see where Emerald had retreated off to just to her the Knight's sword smashing into the ground to his right. He saw her form safely away from the blade and ran over to her. "How do we get around that shield he has?" she questioned, recovering from the dodge.

"It seems like it will defend him from even a blindside attack he doesn't see," Mercury thought as he recalled his attack when he formulated the plan to take down the Knight, "so we have to hit it with enough force to break it."

"What could we use that has enough power to break through his shield?" Emerald questioned just as they had to dodge another strike from the Knight. They both looked at each other with the same idea and charged after Austin again.

Mercury jumped in the air towards him as Emerald rolled around and tried to hit him from the other side as Austin smirked at how they couldn't seem to get that they couldn't hit him with that strategy. This time, Austin blocked Emerald while Mercury was knocked back by Austin's other three swords. He shifted Arank from its scimitar form to its assault rifle form and fired it down at Emerald while she quickly rolled away and ran around him in a circle.

She threw her swords around Austin, trying to chain him down while he released Arank and allowed all four swords to repel the chains and knock Emerald's weapons from her hands. "Dammit," she quickly ran to grab the ends of the chains while Mercury came in from directly above Austin and fired down at him. Austin managed to roll away at the last second as he saw Mercury's shadow and this time grabbed Sitsi, his katana sniper rifle.

Emerald just managed to grab her swords before the Knight threw another slash at her. It surprised her that despite the size of the Knight, it managed to move just as quickly as Weiss herself could. She charged at Austin again and tried to hold a clash with him so Weiss would accidentally hit him, but couldn't get him off balance or into a clash.

"This isn't working!" Mercury called out to her as she was knocked back again by Austin. He quickly tried to find a weakness in Austin's ultimate defense when Austin switched Sitsi with Mukki. That's when Mercury noticed, in that split second, where the weakness was.

"Merc, what is it?" Emerald saw the flash in his eyes showing his realization.

"Whenever he's switching weapons! That's his weakness! We need to get him to where he is switching weapons and hit him while he's doing so with everything we've got!" Mercury thought quickly. "Keep him busy, I'm going to look for an opening."

"Oh no you…" Emerald started before Mercury ran off, "Dammit I don't like being bait!" Emerald whispered fiercely at Mercury before dodging another strike from the Knight.

She charged at Austin, moving around him in a circle quickly as he managed to block the strikes with his short sword SMG. She wrapped the chains around him again, trying to tie him down again only to be shrugged off again. They clashed blow for blow, before Emerald resorted to retreating and trying to keep Austin on the move.

Mercury ran over to where Roman and Neo were hiding quickly calling out, "Roman, I'm gonna need your help!"

"What is it?" Roman whispered furiously at him, not liking having to enter this battle.

"All I need you to do is shoot that dude in the trench coat when I say, as soon as I say, understand?" Mercury ordered quickly.

"Yeah, yeah, I've got it, now let's go!" Roman regretted leaving the safety of the ruined city and re-entered the clearing with Mercury.

Mercury ran over and managed to catch Austin by surprise, knocking him off balance slightly. He quickly changed Mukki into its SMG form and fired to keep Mercury back as he got into place. All three of them dodged as the Knight swiped at them again, with Weiss becoming frustrated with missing. She summoned multiple glyphs around her, firing shot of different elements at dust down at the three of them. Austin's swords blocked the dust shots while Mercury was forced to dodge and Emerald was hit with ice dust, freezing her legs into ice blocks.

Seeing Emerald slightly immobilized by Weiss, Austin took advantage and switched to Ekemos to fight Mercury one on one. "Dammit, we missed that opportunity," Mercury muttered to himself. Austin began striking faster as Mercury kept dodging, and eventually countered by hitting Austin's shield with another shotgun shell.

Emerald looked up to Weiss who had a wicked smile on her face as she aimed another sword strike at her, as Emerald was forced to try and break her legs free from the ice. Unfortunately for her, she didn't and was hit square in the chest with the Knight's sword, sending another shockwave into the ground.

"EMERALD!" Mercury shouted over to her after shooting Austin's shield again.

* * *

"What's going on?" Ruby asked her sister as she returned from where they were hiding to watch the fight.

"Weiss just nailed Emerald and Austin's got Mercury helpless. At this point the battle may very well be over," Yang smirked as she watched.

"Only a fool would be watching this and thinking its over," Qrow muttered behind him.

"What are you talking about, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby questioned.

"Yeah, our guys might be winning, but we are dealing with Tetharans here. If you'll recall Sam and Blake were actually gone for 2 days fighting. These guys can go all day if they wanted, so we've still got plenty of fight to endure," Qrow answered his innocent niece.

"How is everyone back by our temporary camp?" Yang decided to change the subject as she saw that Emerald was indeed alright and returning to the conflict.

"We've taken heavy casualties, and several of our men have been brutally wounded. I'm sure the White Fang is in no better position, but we can't risk another open conflict with them again right now," Qrow replied, taking a drink from his flask.

"Where do you even keep filling that thing up at?" Yang scoffed at his drinking habits.

"Doesn't matter, let's just make sure we're ready to help when they need us," Qrow answered quickly.

"What about Jaune and Ren?" Ruby butted back in.

"Ren's fine, just got a bit dazed. Jaune will most likely be in the same shape," Qrow retorted. "I'm not sure if they'll be able to fight, but at least they are safe for now." Both Ruby and Yang nodded as Penny, Chaney, and Ozpin walked up to them.

"How goes it?" Penny asked after they greeted one another. They all looked to see Weiss's Knight hit both Mercury and Emerald, but with the both of them quickly rebounding and firing shots at both the Knight and Austin.

"About as well as you could expect," Yang answered her.

"Well, let's just keep our guard up in case something were to happen," Ozpin held his cane in front of him as the others nodded their agreement and watched the fight again.

* * *

Emerald and Mercury both were panting as Austin and Weiss began readying another attack. "We need to get that guy off balance now so we can take out that Knight," Mercury told Emerald.

"What if we used bait to draw in Austin?" Emerald suggested.

"Such as?" Mercury knew where she was going with this.

"We'll act as if we're about to be defeated and when Austin drops his guard to kill one of us, Roman will shoot him," Emerald answered, receiving a confirming nod from Mercury.

"Let's do it," Mercury and Emerald charged forward one last time, aiming strikes at both Austin and the Knight. Emerald clashed with Austin while Mercury hit the Knight with some more shotgun shells. Austin pushed Emerald back away from the clash and nailed her in the gut again, knocking the wind out of her and causing her to collapse. Mercury was dodging well until he was caught by Weiss' glyphs and held in place while the Knight punched his entire body and sent him sailing.

After Mercury crashed, Austin walked over to Emerald, slowly changing weapons to Sitsi to finish the fight. Just as Austin was switching, Roman to his chance and fired his cane at Austin, nailing him in the back and knocking him down for a few seconds. Emerald quickly tossed her blade into a building into the other side of the clearing, pulling the chain tight behind the knees of the Knight. Mercury appeared again, aiming his foot directly into the Knight's chest. He hit it with everything he had, knocking the Knight back and tripping over the chain.

Weiss' eyes widened as her Knight fell, and she quickly saw no other choice and jumped to safety. As the Knight crashed onto the ground, it began melting away into glowing white ash. Ozpin's group watched on in awe, and quickly ran out to check on Weiss and Austin. Taiyang, Seth, Tom, and Team JNPR soon followed them, and Roman and Neo came out into hiding. After checking that Weiss and Austin were okay, the two groups formed up and stared each other down.

"Now, this is where the real fun begins."

 **Fighting! Yay! The Knight has been unfortunately destroyed, and Austin has taken some damaged, while our heroes seem to wonder how much strength do Mercury and Emerald really have. Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading! I know this comes out the day after last chapter, but don't expect that to be a reoccuring thing(as much as I would like it to be.) And as always, please, leave a review telling me about any questions, comments, concerns, and or criticisms you have, and I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	20. Chapter 19

The two groups stared each other down, sizing the other up. Mercury stepped forward, with new confidence on his face after dispatching the Knight and finding Austin's weakness. "Now, this is how it's going to go," he started, looking at each of the warriors in front of him. "Emerald, Roman, Neo, and I shall play a little game to decide who goes first. Then, you will decide a fighter to take on the winner of our game. After that fight is decided, we'll rotate on turns."

"You seem pretty confident you won't lose," Qrow stated bluntly.

"Because I know we won't," Mercury grinned evilly. "And if any of you should intervene in the fight…the others not involved with the fight will dispose of you."

"And why should we listen to your stupid rules?" Jaune challenged, having recovered slightly.

"Because, in this kind of fight, if more than just two are involved, they will simply get in the way," Emerald answered.

"No way! I'm not going to stand by and watch you hurt my friends! We aren't stupid!" Ruby shouted at them. She was going to continue until Ozpin cut her off.

"Fine, if that is the way we must fight, then we shall do so," he told them, with Emerald, Mercury, Neo, and Roman turning their backs to them and playing a game of rock-paper-scissors.

"Oz, you can't be serious," Taiyang said.

"We are in a very delicate situation with two of the world's most powerful adversaries. And unfortunately, they are right. In a battle of this scale and skill, more than one on one will only get in the way. Besides, we have the advantage of number, as well as selecting our fighters, while they are limited to just the four of them and have to take turns," Ozpin answered with a sigh.

"Oz, if our Tetharans lose, our kids are going to get killed," Qrow reasoned as well.

"Then we cannot afford to lose," Ozpin met his gaze with certainty.

"You don't need to worry about me, I'll pull my weight, I just hope Tai and the others can do so as well," Qrow smirked at his brother-in-law.

"Hey! You know I can beat you anytime, anywhere," Tai bumped chests with Qrow.

"If you are all done over there!" Roman called over. Every one of the good guys turned their heads to look over at him. "I will be going first, followed by Emerald, then Neo, and finally Mercury!"

"Yeah, brag about it," Mercury muttered to himself.

"You're just mad I won," Roman defended himself and reloaded his cane. "Now, who's first?" As Taiyang stepped up to fight, Roman stopped him quickly, "Oh, one more rule, before we fight."

"What is it now?" Taiyang groaned.

"Each one of you may only fight once. If you are to win, or survive your fight, you cannot fight again until everyone in your group has fought," Roman smirked.

"What does it matter, we'll beat you all on the first try!" Taiyang growled, getting into a ready position.

Roman shrugged his shoulders, "Very well, let's begin!" He picked up his cane and aimed it towards Taiyang, firing three shots. Tai quickly jumped into the air and out of the way, only to land and charge at Roman. Roman moved out of the way quickly, just as Tai punched the ground where he used to be. He grew angry at missing, and charged after Roman again, still missing.

After Roman dodged for a fifth time, Tai took a moment and collected his thoughts and blocked an incoming jab from Roman's cane. He retreated quickly, firing several shots as he went. Tai now was the one dodging, and managed to catch up to Roman and knock his cane away across the clearing. He aimed another punch at Roman's chest before having to shield his eyes and mouth as Roman set off a dust smoke grenade he had. While Taiyang was distracted, Roman ran over and grabbed his cane, only to immediately fire at where the dust cloud was, sending it up in a massive fire ball.

"DAD!" both Ruby and Yang yelled as they saw the fireball. As the smoke faded, Tai sat there collapsed on one knee and panting heavily. He looked up at Roman with furious eyes, standing with a little difficulty.

"I must admit, you're lasting longer than I thought," Roman spun his cane around his finger, adjusting his hat as he did.

"This is nothing," Taiyang panted, focusing his aura into his fists readying to charge.

"You must remember me from your dust store I robbed all that time ago, so if you want to take me down so badly, come and get me," Roman motioned to his cheek, inviting Taiyang to punch it. With a loud yell, Taiyang charged at Roman with aura-enhanced fists just for the latter to jump over him and kick him in the back of the head, at the base of the neck. After Taiyang crashed onto the ground, Roman fired directly beneath him and sent him flying out of the clearing in an explosion.

"Tai, no!" Qrow reached a hand out but was held back by Ozpin.

"There's nothing we can do for him now, we have to keep fighting," Ozpin commanded with authority.

Roman took a bow, catching his hat as it fell off into his hand. "Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all day," He spun around and motioned Emerald forwarded. She moved towards the group and put her hands on her hips, as if asking who was next.

"I'll take her on," Chaney stepped forward.

"Are you sure?" Ozpin turned towards her, and the others faced her solemnly.

"Yes, I'm sure, and she won't hurt me like she did last time," Chaney stated confidently.

"Very well," Ozpin stepped to the side and motioned her forward, and Emerald dawned a hungry and evil glare.

"I've been looking forward to this," Emerald grabbed her weapons and swung them around with her chains.

"As have I," Chaney drew her dual wield swords, giving a few test swings.

"Well then let's not waste any time!" Emerald charged forward and launched one of her blades at Chaney's leg. Chaney blocked it and quickly fired at Emerald with her other sword. Emerald blocked each of her shots and pulled her sword back to her, propelling herself towards Chaney to clash with her.

As they struggled for dominance, Chaney began looking for openings to strike from and saw that she could knock Emerald's legs out from under her. She put her foot in the back of Emerald's knee and kicked her down, getting on top of her to strike again. Before Chaney could strike, Emerald rolled backwards, knocking Chaney onto the ground as well. As she rolled, a few dust crystals fell out of her pocket, and she scrambled to grab one of the lightning crystals. She got up and chucked it at Chaney, firing at it causing it to summon a lightning bolt on her.

Chaney rolled away and ran from the lightning bolt before it was summoned and began shooting at Emerald again. She hadn't known Chaney had dodge and was caught by surprise when bullets flew past her head, causing her to instinctually crouch down. Chaney took advantage of that, charging up a fire ball to send out in a wave towards her direction as Emerald stood back up and ran to get out of the way. She didn't get far enough and her clothes were grazed by the flames, singeing them. She let out a whimper of pain before her aura began working to heal it, standing and readying another type of dust crystal. She smashed it into the ground and sent a large wave of dirt hurtling towards Chaney like a wall.

Chaney's eyes widened and she jumped as high as she could, just barely making it over the wall of dirt before firing more shots at Emerald. Emerald frowned at having missed again and blocked Chaney's shots while firing back some of her own. Chaney moved to the defensive after being fired at, and Emerald took advantage by throwing her sword at the ground near Chaney and pulling herself closer to re-engaged melee combat.

Chaney and Emerald began trading strikes back and forth, attacking and blocking at the same time with both of their swords. Eventually, both of their arms were frozen as their swords pushed against each other. Emerald leaned forward slowly and head-butted Chaney in the forehead, knocking her back and allowing Emerald to strike. She swiped at Chaney's neck, just barely missing as Chaney fell back onto the ground. Emerald shot Chaney in both of her legs, eliciting cries of pain as she did.

"This ends here," Emerald made sure that Chaney hadn't readied her swords to fire back at her before aiming her own sword at Chaney's chest. "Goodbye," Emerald lifted her sword and threw it back down with incredible force. The sword however, was reflected back as Chaney blocked the strike with her aura, which worked slowly to heal her legs.

"Why do you continue to resist? I have you on the ground, unable to get up because of the bullets in your legs. Just let me kill you!" Emerald kicked Chaney's side with every word. She began screaming as Emerald to kick her, coughing up blood and shedding a few tears.

"I fight back because I will never allow you to hurt those I care about. I resist because I know that is what they would do for me. I resist because I can never let you win!" Chaney swiped at Emerald's leg and fired a shot at her heart. Emerald couldn't dodge both, and ended up taking a bullet in the shoulder. She recoiled back away from Chaney, allowing the girl to sit up slowly. By now, her aura healed the bullet wounds and she stood up and found her balance. Emerald's aura had already healed her wound, and now the two fighters stared each other down again.

"It's obvious we are at a stalemate. Simply surrender and this fight will be over," Emerald began moving around Chaney in a circle.

"I would never surrender to the likes of you. You have hurt my friends, the ones I consider family, and for that I will never forgive you," Chaney moved in the opposite direction of Emerald, so the two moved around in a large circle.

"How noble of you," Emerald scoffed. "You and every one of your friends will die here, I hope you know that."

"I'd like to see you try and even get past me, let alone my friends," Chaney smirked. Emerald growled and threw her blades at Chaney, who blocked the swords and sent a wave of fire towards Emerald. She pulled her blades back towards her and directed the wave of fire around her with them, leaving her unscathed.

Emerald saw an opening and created an illusion of multiple versions of her charging at Chaney, who reacted by sending out a massive wave of fire. The real Emerald was far enough away that she was unaffected by the wave and charged at Chaney with another illusion while she was recovering. She only saw the fake Emerald and put up her weapons to block her while the real Emerald came from behind and stabbed through Chaney's gut.

"CHANEY!" Seth screamed, grabbing Aerial Crusader to jump into the fight. As he did, Mercury appeared in front of him with a smirk on his face.

"Remember what I said about interfering? I will kill you right here," Mercury threatened, before disappearing again back over to Roman and Neo.

Chaney took a couple of quick gasps of air, trying to stay calm to prevent blood from pumping out of her faster while Emerald pulled her sword out of Chaney's gut. "This is where you die Chaney," Emerald walked around her to face her directly.

"Y-you will never k-kill me, bitch," Chaney spat out more blood as her aura began to fail.

"That is where you're wrong," Emerald aimed her weapon at Chaney's heart, ready to fire and end it. Loud screaming the group of good guys distracted Emerald and Chaney as Seth ran out to help his friend. Mercury appeared in front of Seth, kicking him and firing at his face. Seth was knocked back, but only for a minute as he fired his shotgun and Mercury and tried to run around him.

"Seth, no! Stay back!" Chaney screamed out to him, trying to reach an arm out to him with a tear running down her face.

"Oh? Looks like this one is more than just a friend," Emerald smiled evilly and began walking over to where Mercury and Seth were fighting.

"NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Chaney shouted, trying to get up desperately before collapsing again on the ground.

"CHANEY!" Seth called out to her as Mercury kicked him in the leg, before roundhouse kicking him in the side of his skull. Emerald came over as well, kicking him in the side while Mercury watched and Seth began screaming in pain.

"Oz, we can't just sit by and watch!" Qrow angrily said to him.

"I know, we need to get them both out of there," Ozpin looked to find a way out of this. "Austin and I will distract Emerald and Mercury. Qrow, you and Tom get Chaney and Seth to safety."

"Alright, let's do this," Austin popped his knuckles and ran out with Ozpin to fight Mercury and Emerald.

"You go get Chaney, I'll cover you incase Emerald or Mercury, get past Oz and Austin, or if Roman or Neo do anything," Qrow waved Tom of to get Chaney. He nodded and ran across the clearing to grab Chaney and pull her to safety.

"NO! LET ME GO! I HAVE TO HELP HIM!" Chaney screamed as Tom picked her up and carried her away.

"Ozpin, Austin, and Qrow will help Seth, we must get you to safety so you can heal," Tom reassured her gently. Chaney continued to try and fight against him before she eventually passed out from pain and lack of blood and oxygen.

Austin fired at both Emerald and Mercury with Arank while Ozpin rushed towards them and hit them multiple times in a few seconds, stunning them and throwing them both back. After seeing that opening, Qrow ran in and picked up Seth, who was also unconscious and bleeding, and ran after Tom to get him to safety and get patched up.

Mercury and Emerald both stood up, watching Ozpin and Austin while Qrow and Penny ran off with the people they had been toying with. "Alright, since they are gone, why don't we just resume the turn style combat? I believe its Neo's turn," Mercury began walking backwards to where Roman and Neo were, with Emerald following. Austin and Ozpin walked back to their group as well, making sure they didn't try anything to go after Qrow or Tom. Eventually, they returned to the group while Neo stepped up to fight next.

"How are they?" Ozpin asked as they returned.

"Not good. Don't plan on seeing them on the battlefield for some time," Tom reported.

"Damn, did you see Taiyang out there?" Austin questioned.

"No, he might be gone," Qrow sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. The others lowered their heads solemnly, with Yang and Ruby sniffling as they heard about their father.

"Tick tock, tick tock!" Roman called out to Ozpin's group, telling them to select their fighter.

"I'll take Neo on," Yang picked her head up and stared the ice cream themed girl down.

"Don't pull the same thing your father did and rush into a fight. You need to fight with a level head or you're going to get yourself killed," Qrow cut her off, blocking her with his arm.

"I understand, but I will no longer stand by and watch the ones I care about get hurt. Besides, this is the best chance I've got to win this one," Yang replied calmly.

Qrow sighed, "Very well. Just please don't lose."

"I won't, Uncle Qrow," Yang smiled and put her hand on his shoulder. He sighed again and moved over to the side to allow her to pass. Yang strutted over to Neo, and stopped directly in front of her, looming over her from the height difference. "Now, why don't we get this started?" Yang smirked, and in a flash she punched down at Neo, aiming directly for her heart.

* * *

Sam's body began spazzing out, electricity flowing throughout the bed while Glynda, Blake, and Oobleck watched the scene unfold. "Do you believe me now?" Oobleck questioned as they turned to look at Sam.

"I-it could just be coincidence," Goodwitch continued to struggle coming up with excuses.

"Well, if you are right Professor, what will happen if this fight keeps going the way it is?" Blake questioned.

Oobleck looked between the two of them and sighed, "I do not believe we want to find out."

* * *

"What a terrible thing to happen to those two," Anselm said solemnly.

"Indeed, and if this battle continues to go the way it's going, we may need to send soldiers to assist," Ironwood stated thoughtfully, pulling out his scroll and sending a message for his generals and admirals to meet with him in a moment.

"Would we even make it in time to save anyone?" Winter questioned helplessly.

"I'm not sure, but we have to try to help as many as we can," Ironwood replied with confidence. "Besides, I do not believe the fight will continue like this for much longer. I've read Yang Xiao Long's records at Beacon, and she is a very capable fighter."

"I hope you're right," Winter turned back towards the live feed and hoped that Yang would finally turn the tide.

 **The battle continues! Our heroes aren't doing well, but will that turn around with Yang and Neo? We'll find out in the next chapter! Thank you guys so much for reading this far! I really do appreciate you guys reading. If you wouldn't mind, please, leave a review telling me any questions, comments, and concerns! Special thanks to freddyfan6776 for reviewing so often. I really appreciate the feed back and it helps motivate me to write more often and continue to get better! Thank you again for reading, and I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	21. Chapter 20

A strong gust of wind followed Yang's fist, smashing through an illusion of Neo as the real one appear a few feet behind her. Yang turned quickly to block Neo's incoming strike and fire back while Neo vanished in another illusion. Yang looked around quickly before realizing she was nowhere in sight. In horror, she looked up to see Neo falling down on her with her blade drawn. Yang quickly rolled out of the way and fired a few shots at Neo while she fell, who blocked the shots with her umbrella. Yang rushed towards Neo again, who decided to stand her ground instead of vanishing again.

Yang launched strike after strike, but Neo was faster and dodged out of the way of each blow. Neo dodged another blow and ducked underneath Yang, flipping her over in the process onto the ground on her back. Yang sat up quickly, firing more shots at Neo who ran off away from her.

"Get back here!" Yang shouted at Neo, running and shooting after her. Neo stopped suddenly, turning quickly and extending her umbrella as Yang ran face first into it. She flew backwards, using her gauntlets and her feet to stop her from flying any further back. She took a few deep breaths to focus herself and charged in again, blocking to the side as Neo extended her umbrella again. Neo tried to close her umbrella and block Yang's shotgun shot, but she wasn't fast enough and had to create an illusion at the last second. The real Neo fell onto the ground a little bit away from the now broken illusion of Neo and Yang, panting at having made three illusions in such a short time.

"Guess you can't keep doing that, can you?" Yang noticed Neo's exhaustion and began walking towards her slowly. Neo noticed the look of murder in Yang's eyes and quickly backpedaled, grabbing her umbrella as she did. Yang sped up her walking as she saw Neo's face change into one of terror. "Eat this!" Yang shot herself forward and aimed a strike at Neo's core. Neo quickly dodged to the side by rolling over and drew her blade to fight back while standing. Yang quickly recovered from missing and began striking faster and faster, so fast that Neo was forced to block instead of dodge and counter.

"Finish her big sis!" Ruby cheered as the fight continued.

"You can do this Yang!" Jaune joined in Ruby's cheering.

Yang nodded her head and continued throwing her punches until finally Neo wasn't fast enough, getting hit in the face and sent into the ground making a large crater. She turned away and strutted back towards her friends, happy with her triumph.

 _Big mistake_ , Neo thought to herself as she quickly rose and ran behind Yang, slashing down her back in one long stroke. Yang groaned in pain, not expecting the blow and not having her aura ready to protect her. Blood gushed out of the long cut, and Yang collapsed onto the ground.

"NO!" Ruby prepared to rush out to grab her sister before Qrow grabbed her cloak and held her back.

"Relax, kid, your big sis is going to be fine once her aura kicks in, let's just go grab her before that ice cream chick does anything else," he reassured calmly. While he was talking, Neo turned and walked away back towards her group while Roman checked her over.

Qrow went and grabbed Yang, looking her over and happy to see that he was right about her aura. However, she had been in enough pain and lost enough blood to lose consciousness and needed to be taken off the battlefield. "Jaune! You and Ren take Yang back to the camp with the others. You two are the most hurt out of us, so we'll keep fighting while you're gone. Just get back quickly, just incase," Qrow ordered the two, who ran up quickly after the orders were given. They rushed off with Yang immediately, and Ruby ran after them quickly. "Ruby!" Qrow called out, and luckily she turned to see what he had to say. "Go find your dad after you check on your sister, and make sure he gets help too!" Qrow ordered, with the red-capped girl nodding and running after Jaune and Ren. This left Qrow, Ozpin, Tom, Pyrrha, Nora, Weiss, Penny, and Austin to fight against the still remaining four villains in front of them.

"Well, your group seems to be thinning very quickly," Mercury commented as he stepped up, waiting for the next victim to step up.

"I guess it's my turn," Austin stepped up as well, the last Tetharan the good guys had.

"Wait, Austin, maybe you shouldn't," Weiss stepped up to stop him.

"What do you mean? You guys can't take on Mercury," Austin honestly stated.

"But even if you win, Emerald still remains, and you won't be allowed to fight again until the rest of us fight," Nora pointed out.

"And how are they gonna stop me from fighting Emerald after beating Mercury?" Austin held little respect for the villains little "game" they had been playing.

"You know, we do still have an army behind us that can just go around the clearing and wipe out any of your forces they come across," Roman pointed out. "Besides, Neo and I can kill any one of you."

"Right, and you wouldn't want any of your new friends dying, now do you?" Mercury asked innocently.

"Shut up!" Austin shouted before looking at the people around him. "Well, if not me, then who?" he asked them.

"I'll take him on, and if anything gets suspicious, just come in a help whenever," Qrow stated, walking forward.

"No way, I'll take him on, your family has taken enough hits," Tom stepped forward as well.

"Perhaps it would just be best if I were to fight him," Ozpin offered.

"Why don't you four just do what we did?" Mercury asked, insinuating that the four play rock-paper-scissors to see who would fight Mercury.

"I guess we could," Tom shrugged his shoulders and earned a glare from the other members of the group. After a few moments, the four converged on each other and began playing the game.

"Rock!"

"Paper!"

"Scissors!"

"Shoot!"

Tom and Qrow both had rock, while Austin and Ozpin got paper, eliminating Tom and Qrow from contention. Austin and Ozpin turned to face each other, and brought their hands back up again.

"Rock!"

"Paper!"

"Scissors!"

"Shoot!"

Austin had scissors, while Ozpin had paper, eliminating Ozpin and selecting Austin to fight Mercury.

"Alright, it's decided! So, you're Tetharan, huh? That's cool," Mercury declared as Austin stepped up.

"It is, for what it's worth," Austin shrugged his shoulders, opening the trench coat he wore to allow his weapons to rotate around him again in a shield.

"By the way, that lovely ability you have, what is that?" Mercury questioned as they prepared for the match.

"It's a semblance passed down through my family. We're each given a set of weapons that we bond our aura with, and they become one with us. So, they react to blindside attacks I would otherwise be unprepared for," Austin explained, seeing no reason in hiding it.

"So it's a semblance? Which must mean it doesn't last forever," Mercury smiled evilly.

"It'll last long enough for me to kick your ass," Austin countered with a smirk of his own, grabbing Ekemos. Mercury charged as soon as he grabbed his claymore shotgun, firing bullets as he kicked towards him. Austin's eyes widened and he blocked as best he could while his defense was inactive and dodged to the side while Mercury flew past him.

 _I'll have to stick with Ekemos to make sure he can't take advantage of that little weakness I have, and I'm going to have to do it fast. My aura can only keep this up for another couple of minutes!_ Austin thought to himself, switching Ekemos into its shotgun function and firing at Mercury as he tried charging again. Mercury ducked under the bullets and fired back after stand, causing Austin to move while he was reloading.

Mercury charged after Austin, jumping towards him and using his boots to propel himself forward faster. Austin turned and switched Ekemos back into its claymore form, ready to stab Mercury who was being carried forward by so much momentum. Mercury saw this and moved his legs out in front of him, firing at Austin while slowing his progress. Austin blocked these shots with ease, and charged forward at Mercury.

Mercury began kicking bullets into a cyclone, surrounding him and Austin while Austin was forced to dodge and find an opening. Eventually, Austin stopped moving and tried to rush forward to attack an opening he saw, only to realize the reason the opening was there was because Mercury directed the bullets directly into him, causing a massive explosion and new fresh cracks to form into the ground.

As the smoke faded away, Austin was lucky to block most of the bullets with his swords and for his aura to absorb the other bullets and the overpowering heat of the explosion. Mercury's smirk also faded after he saw Austin alright, and quickly looked for another way to strike.

 _I still have one trick up my sleeve, but that's going to use up a lot of my strength. If my defense fails, however, I won't have much choice,_ Austin thought to himself, reloading Ekemos and switching it back into its shotgun function. "Eat this!" Austin held down the trigger, charging the shot with more dust and ammo before launching out a massive wave of death a Mercury, who had no time to dodge.

Mercury let out a scream of pain, showing that he hadn't had enough time to use his aura to absorb the shot, leaving him weak. Austin once again switched Ekemos back into its claymore state and charged before the smoke from his blast faded. Mercury didn't see the attack coming, but heard it and rolled out the way as quickly as he could. He could hear Ekemos whistle past his head after he dodged, noting how close Austin had been.

After that, the smoke blew away, revealing the two staring each other down while Mercury recovered by the help of his aura. "How much aura do Tetharans have, anyway?" Nora asked Ozpin.

"More than us humans, just as they tend to have more of everything," Ozpin replied, still watching the fight as Mercury and Austin clashed.

"But Chaney's aura didn't last long, and Austin's seems to be fading faster than Mercury's," Penny jumped in.

"We only believe Chaney to be Tetharan, so we aren't for certain that she has that much aura anyways. And if Austin's semblance is that shield his swords form, which means he is using his semblance right now and his aura is draining because of it. Simply put, the faster this ends, the more it is in Austin's favor," Ozpin answered.

"She has to be Tetharan though, so why did her aura fail so easily?" Weiss joined the discussion.

"Perhaps her aura recovers slower than her body does, so when she healed so rapidly and rejoined the fight it wasn't prepared," Ozpin theorized.

"But then Emerald should be in the same state, shouldn't she?" Pyrrha was now also involved.

"Perhaps her aura wasn't hit as hard in the fight, or maybe Emerald just has that much, I do not know," Ozpin seemed tired of the questions, so they fell silent and continued to watch.

Mercury was blown away by another shotgun blast as Austin ran after him switching it into its claymore function again. Mercury put his feet on the ground and slid to a stop, trying to punch Austin after dodging his sword strike. Austin's other swords protected him from Mercury's punch, and they both separated again.

"So, you wanna keep fighting in this stalemate, or are you gonna give up before your body does?" Mercury taunted, knowing Austin was working on borrowed time.

"I'd rather just finish you now!" Austin rushed Mercury again, swiping at him again and again. Mercury dodged each jab, with a few just grazing his arms, sides, and legs. He eventually grew tired of this and tried sweeping Austin's legs out from under him, only for his swords to yet again block his strike and throw him onto the ground.

"Any last words?" Austin smiled as he aimed Ekemos at Mercury's neck.

At that moment, the swords around Austin fell, and Mercury's face grew a large smirk. "Yeah. You're finished!" Mercury swept Austin's legs out from underneath him, quickly getting up and putting his boot to Austin's head.

"Goodbye, nuisance," Mercury raised his boot just for Austin to catch it and throw Mercury across the clearing.

"I really didn't want to do this," Austin used the last of his semblance to call his weapons towards him, having them mash together and transform. While his swords transformed, armor spread out over his body, until finally he was fully equipped in large armor and a massive two-handed broad sword that changed into an RPG. "But it seems I have no choice. Say hello to the Okaran King!" Austin ran forward with surprising speed considering the armor he was wearing.

Mercury's eyes widened and he propelled himself into the air with his boots and watched as Austin destroyed the ground where he just was. He gulped and quickly began firing to try and keep himself in the air.

"Go ahead, keep trying to avoid me, I'll just shoot you out of the air!" Austin called out to him, firing a few rounds from his RPG. Mercury saw that staying in the air was a bad idea, but had no time to dodge as a round exploded near him and knocked him out of the sky.

"Dammit!" Mercury shouted out in pain, crashing into the ground and forming a large crater. _I can't outlast him if he has that kind of power and range!_ Mercury tried to formulate a strategy

"Come out of there Mercury, and let's finish this!" Austin called out, slamming Okaran King into the ground and shaking the earth around him.

Shaking his head, he charged out of the crater and began trying to run to avoid Austin's attacks. This proved impossible, however, as Austin still managed to hit him and knock him off balance.

"You having trouble? Allow me to help by finishing this!" Austin charged forward and brought Okaran King up to finish Mercury off once and for all. What Austin didn't notice was that his body began growing numb, and his knees shook with the effort of standing. Okaran King split back into the four swords that made it up, and his armor vanished, revealing Austin collapsed on the ground and unconscious. Mercury had a look of surprise, but quickly got up and walked over to Austin to finish him off.

"Oz, if Austin dies, we lose!" Qrow whispered to him.

"I know!" Ozpin quickly thought out a strategy. "Tom, Qrow, you'll come with me and we'll get Austin out of there."

"What about us?" Weiss gestured to herself, Pyrrha, Nora, and Penny who were the only ones remaining.

"Stay back, if we all get caught up in this, the world is lost," Ozpin ordered. "Now, let's go!" Qrow, Tom, and Ozpin rushed out to save their Tetharan friend, which distracted Mercury enough to let him be for the moment. Qrow was hit and knocked down by Emerald, who ran up and continued to fight. Tom and Ozpin kept running, and Mercury ended up kicking and hitting Ozpin's shield, leaving Tom to run up and grab Austin. As Tom turned to turn, an explosion rang out behind him, sending both he and Austin across the clearing. They all turned to see Roman had shot Tom down, and now only Qrow and Ozpin remained fighting Emerald and Mercury.

"We have to help them!" Weiss told the others. They agreed, and each of them charged into the fight. Seeing the remainder of the allied group running in, Roman and Neo also joined in the fight, with Roman taking on Pyrrha and Neo taking on Penny. Nora went to assist Ozpin against Mercury and Weiss ran to Qrow to help him fight Emerald.

"You were supposed to stay back!" Qrow shouted at Weiss as she used a glyph to throw Emerald down.

"And watch you die? Unlikely!" Weiss reasoned, dodging Emerald's sword and chain.

* * *

"Alright, I'm done sitting around, we have to help," Glynda stood and to her surprise, Blake and Oobleck agreed. At that moment, they received a call from a Vale airship. "Who is this?" Glynda demanded.

"I thought you would be happier to hear from a colleague of yours," Port's voice came through.

"Peter?! What happened to you?" Glynda furiously questioned.

"After I suffered some wounds, Ozpin sent me back with the fleet and we were on the way the way back when the feed of the fight came up. We're the closest responders, but we can use some reinforcements before returning to Vacuo," Port replied.

"We're on our way," Glynda answered and hung up her scroll, running out of the room with Oobleck and Blake following after her.

* * *

"Perhaps now is the time?" Anselm offered as they watched the battlefield erupt into new conflict.

"Yeah, no kidding," Winter rolled her eyes.

"We won't make it in time," Ironwood said solemnly. "I'll try and get in contact with the other remaining commanders and launch an assault on Tethara."

"What are you talking about? We aren't going to help? What kind of general are you?" Winter soon switched from sarcastic to furious.

"I'm being realistic! Look, I wish I could help them, but we won't make it in time, they are just too far away!" Ironwood shouted back, startling both Anselm and Winter.

"General Ironwood there is no need to act this way," Anselm scolded.

"Of course, my apologies, I just don't like being accused of leaving my friends to die," Ironwood's expression softened before turning away from them and calling Glynda.

"Ironwood? What is it, I'm kind of busy," Glynda replied through the speakers of Ironwood's scroll.

"I'm readying an invasion of Tethara to end this now, and I will need Vale's assistance. With Ozpin being," Ironwood was cut off.

"I know what you're going to say and I'm going to stop you there. I'm going to save Ozpin and the others and there isn't a darn thing you can do to stop me!" Glynda shouted through the scroll and hung up.

"Well," Ironwood was surprised by the outburst, "I guess we're going to Vacuo after all."

 **And there is another chapter down! Been knocking these out! Thank you guys so much for reading, and as always, please leave a review with any questions, comments, concerns, or criticisms. I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	22. Chapter 21

"Take this!" Mercury kicked Nora towards Ozpin, causing him to drop his shield and catch her. While he was doing this, Mercury ran up and kicked them both, sending them hurtling across the clearing. Ozpin managed to catch himself while Nora used Magnhild to launch herself back forward towards Mercury. Mercury blocked the red-headed girl, sending her into the ground while Ozpin sprinted up to get Mercury off of Nora.

Pyrrha clashed several times with Roman, swiping from each direction to try and gain advantage, with Roman blocking each strike. After seeing that this stalemate was going nowhere, Pyrrha rushed back and switched Miló into its rifle form. Roman saw her do this and fired his cane at her to keep her off balance and unable to aim. Pyrrha ran to dodge Roman's explosions and managed to clip him with the javelin form of Miló.

Neo and Penny danced around one another, with Penny having her swords floating behind her. Neo broke the dance, charging towards Penny while the latter tried to hit Neo as she moved forward. Unable to hit her, Penny tried to retreat just to be jabbed by Neo's sword. Stunned with pain, Penny pushed Neo back and used her blades to slice down Neo's chest, causing her to retreat in pain.

Qrow used his weapon in its sword function and charged towards Emerald while Weiss tried to flank around behind her. Emerald fought back against Qrow with one of her blades while she threw the other in the direction of Weiss trying to tie the chain around her in some way. Weiss managed to dodge the sword and used a glyph to propel herself forward and strike at Emerald while one of her swords was gone. Emerald dodged by rolling underneath Weiss and causing her and Qrow to smash into each other.

As the fight continued, Jaune and Ren rushed back into the fray to see the fighting and quickly picked up their weapons. "We have to save them!" Jaune called out to Ren, who nodded in quick agreement. As they rushed forward, they were passed by a red bundle and a trail of rose pedals, indicating that Ruby had returned from looking for her father. "Ruby!" Jaune tried to call out, only for Ruby to ignore him and enter the battle.

"Come on Jaune, we need to go!" Ren ran forward and assisted Nora and Ozpin fighting Mercury after seeing the two just getting up. Jaune nodded his head, charging in to fight alongside Pyrrha.

"Jaune, Penny needs your help, Neo's wounded her, go!" Pyrrha shrugged him off, knocking Roman down with her shield. Jaune was about to protest before Pyrrha pushed Jaune away. "Go! Now!" Pyrrha ordered.

Jaune nodded his head and ran over to Penny, where he noticed that she had been stabbed in the gut. "Penny, are you okay?" Jaune asked with his voice filled with concern.

"Don't worry, Jaune, I am combat ready. I just require you to keep Neo a distance away from me, so I can attack her, as I cannot fight up-close, and only from a range," Penny informed him.

"I-I'll try my best," Jaune raised Crocea Mors and watched for Neo to make a move.

Neo walked forward slowly, causing Jaune to tense as she did. Tired of waiting for her, he charged forward with the best battle cry he could manage, slashing at where Neo was. He realized in horror that Neo made another illusion of herself and he slashed through the fake Neo and the real Neo appeared behind Penny and moved to slice the robot girl's head off.

"Penny WATCH OUT!" Jaune reached out to Penny while the girl looked at him with confusion. Before Neo could finish off Penny, Ruby appeared and collided with the smaller girl, knocking them both onto the ground. Jaune rushed over to Penny, making sure she was okay while Ruby aimed punched at Neo who was laying under the brunette.

"I'm okay, let's go help Ruby," Penny reassured him, while Ruby was thrown off by Neo, which surprised all three of them. Neo quickly stood and created several illusion of her surrounding them, having all of them charge at the three. Ruby and Jaune braced themselves, while Penny sent her swords out in a wave and destroyed the illusions. After the illusions faded, they looked around to see no Neo in sight, and looked up to make sure she wasn't falling on them.

"Where did she go?" Ruby asked quickly, looking at the other groups fighting.

* * *

Roman kept Pyrrha on the move, firing until she dodged and began a rush towards him that he had to block. They clashed again a few times, with no one gaining the advantage. However, opportunity presented itself when Roman saw Neo standing a little bit back from Pyrrha, just a bit exhausted. However, Neo and Roman made eye contact and knew what to do. Neo threw her sword at Pyrrha, falling through the air and hitting her directly in the heel, causing her to collapse and scream out in pain. Neo came up and grabbed her sword as Roman motioned to the others still fighting.

"Leave her be, she can't fight back anymore," Roman ordered, with Neo nodding in confirmation. They were about to leave Pyrrha behind before Jaune, Ruby, and Penny ran up and blocked their path

"You won't be getting away with this, Torchwick," Jaune narrowed his eyes as he looked to see Pyrrha's body laying behind them. "If she is dead, then I will," Jaune was cut off.

"You'll what? Talk us to death? Relax, kid, your girlfriend is still alive and she'll be fine if you give her enough time to recover," Roman replied, giving his cane a couple of test swings.

Jaune almost ran forward to try and slit Roman's throat before he was held back by Ruby. "Why didn't you kill her?" Ruby questioned.

"I'm no monster, I kill only when I have to," Roman replied. "She is no longer a threat trying to kill me, therefore there is no reason for me to kill her."

"Oh, aren't you just so noble!" Jaune tried to break free from Ruby's grip but was unable to do anything.

"Look, I said she'd be fine after she got some help and some time to recover. Why do you just get off the battlefield and go do that, like you did with your other pals?" Roman turned to allow the three to pass them.

"Jaune, you take her," Ruby told him. "You can protect her, and we can keep fighting here."

Jaune sighed reluctantly. "Fine, just please stay alive," he trudged forward and threw Pyrrha over his shoulders.

"We'll be fine," Ruby reloaded her scythe while Penny readied her swords behind her. Jaune then took off towards the camp, while Roman and Neo resumed fighting with Ruby and Penny.

* * *

Ren and Nora rushed Mercury from both sides while Ozpin charged up to him from the middle. Mercury jumped up and did a split, hitting both Ren and Nora in the head and sending them back while dodging Ozpin's hits, As Ren and Neo got up, Ozpin held out his cane preventing them from moving forward.

"Leave him to me, you're just going to get in the way!" Ozpin charged again, stabbing through the air quickly as Mercury dodged his seemingly light speed strikes.

"If we leave you to fight alone, he's going to kill you!" Ren countered, watching Mercury for an opening to jump on. Nora rushed forward with her hammer, slamming the ground nearby Mercury, throwing both him and Ozpin off balance. Ren took this opportunity and charged in, slashing down Mercury's back and firing at him. He recoiled in pain and kicked out backwards, stunning and causing Ren to retreat.

Nora ran up to make sure Ren was okay before Ozpin returned to taking Mercury on one on one. "Are you okay?" Nora looked Ren over and only saw a few scratches and bruises.

"I'm fine, now let's go help him!" Ren tried to stand before collapsing back onto the ground and letting out a howl of pain.

"Ren!? Ren, what's wrong?!" Nora shook him to try and get a response, with only him shouting in pain as he tried to stand again. She looked down and saw that one of Mercury's bullets hit him in the leg a couple inches below the knee, breaking through the bone and bleeding heavily. "Hold on Ren, I've got you!" Nora quickly ripped off part of her skirt, putting pressure on the wound while Ren screamed in protest. "I know it hurts, I know it hurts, it's going to be okay," Nora began crying as she tried to patch up her partner. She transferred as much aura as she could spare to help in the healing process, starting to rip some of her jacket and Ren's shirt to use as a bandage.

Ren's hand flew up to Nora's hair and tightened roughly, causing Nora to let out a shriek of pain before resuming her efforts. "Nora, listen to me," Ren huffed between his cries of pain.

"Shut up Ren and let me save you!" Nora shouted back at him.

"If I don't make it, I want you to know…I love you Nora," Ren huffed again, before letting out another yowl of pain as Nora put more pressure on his broken leg.

"Ren, dammit, I love you too, but you are going to make it and you are going to confess that to me again when we aren't on the damn battlefield!" Nora cried out and viciously tried stopping the bleeding.

"Save your aura, Nora, you're going to need it to keep fighting," Ren tried to persuade her to just let him fade.

"No! I won't sit by and watch you die!" Nora punched the ground, and used all of her aura to patch up Ren the best she could. As she felt the last of her aura run out, she breathed a sigh of relief as the bleeding stopped and Ren was still breathing.

"Nora, I," Ren tried to say

"No, you're going to be okay, and I will protect you until the day I die, even if that day is today," Nora shook her head, grabbing Maghnild and standing over Ren, not moving from where she was.

"Nora…thank you," Ren breathed out, laying back and closing his eyes as his body lost consciousness.

* * *

Qrow and Weiss were breathing heavily, standing across from Emerald who didn't seem nearly as exhausted. Emerald smirked and threw both her swords at them, who dodged quickly and trying rushing her again. Emerald pulled her swords back, hitting both Qrow and Weiss in the back and knocking them down into the dirt. Qrow got up quickly out of rage while Weiss got up more slowly. Emerald her attention towards the more prevalent threat and readied herself for whatever Qrow planned on doing.

"I've got to admit, you Tetharans are pretty strong," Qrow praised, lowering his sword before flicking a switch. "But if you think I'm gonna just let you walk all over me," the gear began turning and his sword separated and began forming into a scythe, "then you are sorely mistaken!" Qrow flew off towards Emerald with his scythe fully extended and slashed with more speed and accuracy than his previous strikes, nailing Emerald in the shoulder. Emerald let out a scream of pain and dodged to the side and tried countering only to be hit by Qrow's scythe again. "You can't beat me now, Emerald, and I will gladly end this now!" Qrow rushed forward with his scythe again, only to hit an illusion of Emerald, while the real Emerald came around behind him and wrapped him up in the chains linked to her swords.

Unable to move, Qrow dropped his scythe while Emerald tightened the chains and began crushing Qrow's body. Qrow held back with his aura protecting him, but suddenly and unexpectedly his aura failed and his bones began to crush together. He howled out in pain, begging for anyone to save him, and in response Weiss charged at Emerald with one of her glyphs and kicked the Tetharan directly in the head with her heel. Emerald flew backwards, loosening the chains on Qrow and releasing him from the prison he was in. Though as Weiss watched him, he didn't get up and he writhed in pain. His torso and arms looked disfigured, and Weiss hoped that he wasn't suffering from internal bleeding so he could survive.

Emerald stood up slowly giving a death glare to Weiss, and she realized in horror that with the others distracted, she would be alone in this fight.

While Nora was watching over Ren, Ozpin and Mercury continued their fight, with Ozpin able to keep matching Mercury step for step. "I'll admit, you're pretty strong for a human," Mercury praised after a clash left them both recovering for a few moments.

"Well, raising and training the best Tetharan out there does that to people, I guess," Ozpin tried to antagonize Mercury to force him to make mistakes.

"Ha! If Sam was the best then why did he end up getting himself killed?" Mercury taunted back.

"Sam isn't dead, he's simply recovering," Ozpin remained level headed, needing to find a way to gain the advantage.

"I should've killed you all back when I had the chance, I would have wiped the floor with you!" Mercury ran towards Ozpin before he could come up with a strategy to take him on, leaving himself off balance against Mercury's onslaught.

Ozpin managed to dodge and block Mercury's attacks with his shield, but a few hits managed to get through. As Ozpin began to slow down, Mercury picked up the pace and began breaking through Ozpin's shield more and more until eventually it was broken, throwing him back and onto the ground.

"Well, I can't say it's been fun, but I'm finally ready for some bloodshed, aren't you?" Mercury smiled and walked over to Ozpin's head, placing his boot on it. Just as he did, a loud roar erupted from the ruined city around the clearing, distracting everyone from their fight. Suddenly, Taiyang came rushing out into the clearing, straight for Mercury and Ozpin.

"You will never win!" Taiyang shouted, punching towards Mercury as he lifted him boot up to defend himself. The two smashed together, causing more cracks into the ground and leaving a small crater around them. "As long as I still breathe, I will never allow you to kill any of my friends or family! Never again!" Taiyang stared Mercury down as if he were the devil, remembering the night Summer died vividly in his mind. Mercury's eyes widened at Taiyang's sudden power, quickly retreating to try and protect himself while Tai brutally beat the Tetharan. The others couldn't even resume fighting, watching Taiyang and Mercury with awe as Tai seemed to finally be winning the fight for the good guys.

Eventually, Mercury regained his footing and raised his foot to meet Taiyang's fist again, this time firing a shot directly into Tai's arm. He let out a shrill scream, with his arm going limp next to him. Tai tried to punch with the other arm, but Mercury kicked it as well, breaking it at the elbow and leaving it useless. The others watched in horror as Taiyang collapsed onto the ground on his knees, looking up at Mercury who stood in front of him. "You may never allow me to hurt or kill your friends as long as you breathe, but now you will have to breathe no longer," Mercury prepped his shots in his boot and raised his foot. "Goodbye, Taiyang Xiao Long," Mercury kicked the center of Tai's chest, firing the shot directly through his heart and out of the back of his torso.

* * *

"Alright, we need to hurry, they just killed one," Glynda tried to rush the three to the airship, managing to take off after a few minutes.

"W-who was it?" Blake asked timidly.

"It was Taiyang, Ruby and Yang's father," Glynda replied solemnly.

Back in his hospital room, Sam's body again began to twitch and surge electricity, this time much faster than before.

* * *

"DAD!" Ruby ran forward, no longer thinking as she tried to save her father, only to be knocked down by Emerald, who walked over to her and Penny.

"That's one down, now just all of you to go," Emerald smirked and through her blade towards Penny. Ruby managed to grab the chain with her scythe and redirect the sword away from Penny, buying her time to dodge and try to help the others still standing. At the moment, only Ruby, Weiss, Nora, and Penny were standing to take on the four villains.

"Who do you think we should off next, Em?" Mercury asked maliciously, while three of the four remaining good guys bunched together, leaving Nora alone defending Ren.

"I think we should get one of those three, but who?" Emerald replied, giving an evil smile towards Ruby, Penny, and Weiss.

"You know, I'm sure the heiress is looking forward to seeing her love again," Mercury stated as both of them advanced while Roman and Neo stood back.

"You two not joining us?" Emerald asked with an edge.

"You two have your fun, we'll keep on the lookout for any other heroes trying to save the day," Roman excused both himself and Neo from the slaughter he saw coming.

"How about, if you don't help us kill these three, we kill you next?" Mercury taunted.

"You wouldn't do that, Cinder would kill you both," Roman quickly saw that the tables may be turning. The more he thought about it, he wondered why Cinder included them on the team since he and Neo weren't Tetharan, and then he realized that she might not have expected them to survive.

"Yeah, yeah, just help us or I'll knock you to within an inch of your life," Mercury ordered. Roman gulped and stepped forward, along with Neo who looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Just in case we don't make it, and I'm going to be honest things really don't look good right now, I want you guys to know that you have been incredible friends and made my life so much better," Weiss told them while the four villains approached them. She looked over to Nora to hopefully see her coming to help, and she saw the mental war going on in her head as she debated on helping them or protecting Ren.

Without warning, Roman and Neo jumped in and double teamed Ruby, while Mercury took on Penny and Emerald took on Weiss.

As Roman and Neo jumped Ruby and beat her, her thoughts focused on trying to send a message to her deceased father, _Dad…I'm sorry I couldn't save you…I went out into the city and found you. I brought you back to the camp where you could heal, but instead you came here. Now…now you're gone, and now all Yang and I have left is Uncle Qrow. I'm sorry that we weren't strong enough to win, and I'm sorry it looks like I'm about to join you._ Ruby's eyes opened and she switched Crescent Rose into its scythe form and beat back Roman and Neo with ease. _But like you, I won't go down without a fight!_ Ruby fired a few shots at the both of them, who had to dodge and reevaluate their plan of attack.

"So, you look like one who wouldn't be a fan of up-close and personal combat," Mercury noted, while Penny remained silent, looking for a way to avoid this kind of combatant. "No use in trying to escape, you're all mine!" Mercury ran forward before Penny could get her swords to protect her, getting in several good hits. Penny shouted out as she felt the robotics inside her breaking, and she quickly fell back and tried running away. However, without noticing she ran in between Weiss and Emerald's fight, and before she could even scream in terror, Emerald's blade ripped through her neck and sliced her head clean off, stopping the communication to Atlas.

* * *

"PENNY! NO!" Ironwood smashed his desk on his warship with his mechanical arm. The other soldiers in the room, as well as Anselm and Winter who asked to come along, all stared at disbelief, now a second victim in less than a few minutes. "Get us to Vacuo now! I want their heads!" Ironwood barked his orders, beating the remains of his desk before returning to the chair he was sitting in. Winter and Anselm could only watch in horror, seeing only Ruby and Weiss fighting four enemies now.

"Dammit there goes another!" Glynda cried out, handing the scroll she was watching on to Professor Oobleck as she was unable to watch anymore. Their airship was halfway to meeting Port and the warship and returning to Vacuo. "Can we please speed this up!?" Glynda shouted at the pilots, who responded that they were going as fast as they could.

"Who was it this time?" Oobleck asked instead of Blake who went speechless with worry.

"P-penny," Glynda managed to say.

Sam's body shook more violently, and the lights began to flicker all throughout Beacon. Clouds began forming over the entire city of Vale, and rain began to pour.

* * *

"PENNY!" both Weiss and Ruby shouted, unable to do anything as they air thickened and caused them both to fall to their knees. Ozpin overheard this and tried moving towards Nora, trying to talk to her and urge her to help before it was too late, and eventually he reached her. "Nora, I know you are concerned for Ren, but if you don't do something now, Ruby and Weiss are going to die," Ozpin persuaded.

"What am I supposed to do against something like them? Be a punching bad?" Nora asked blankly, her mind numb with pain and sadness.

"Something, anything! We're all going to die if you can't do something!" Ozpin urged forcefully.

"Mercury, you go and keep little Red held down while I finish off the heiress, alright?" Emerald asked as politely as a murderer could.

"Of course," he replied, running over to kick Ruby in the gut while Roman and Neo offered their support.

Emerald and Weiss' eyes met and Weiss immediately tried to run, only to be grabbed by the neck and punched in the gut. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this?" Emerald asked, applying more pressure onto Weiss' neck and punching her gut again. Weiss simply coughed up blood in response, panting heavily for air. "Ever since the battle of Mount Glenn I've wanted to get payback on your bratty boyfriend! And what better revenge than killing the one he loves the most?" Emerald punched and punched, causing Weiss to cough up more blood and gag.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Ruby tried to get out of the fight she was in to help Weiss, only to be kicked into the ground by Mercury who laughed as he did.

"Nora, you have to do something, NOW!" Ozpin shouted, and Nora no longer seemed to be paying attention. Her mind had numbed so much she lost consciousness and she collapsed onto Ren, leaving Weiss and Ruby to fend for themselves.

"Now, let's finish this," Emerald grabbed her blade and put it against Weiss' gut, ready to end the match one and for all.

Suddenly, gunfire rang out behind Emerald and she turned just to be hit by bullets from Tom's assault rifle. "I'm not out yet, bitch!" he shouted to her, changing his weapon into its mace form and charging at her. Emerald dropped Weiss and threw one sword at Tom who blocked it, while he didn't notice the other flying right for his shoulder. The blade stabbed deep, lodging itself into his skin and forcing him to almost pass out from pain. Emerald yanked on the chain, pulling Tom over to her quickly, and stopped him on his knees before her and Weiss. She walked over to the heiress, putting her up and on her hands and knees looking up at Tom and he looked down at her.

As Emerald walked behind Tom, he looked into Weiss' eyes with a sincere smile and a tear rolling down his face. "I'm sorry Weiss. Tell Sam I'll see him on the other-" Gunshot. Tom's face exploded into a mist of blood and brain matter and Emerald shot him in the back of the head.

* * *

"I'm…afraid we lost a third," Oobleck reported. "This time it was Sam's partner, Tom Evered. He died protecting Weiss."

"Tom…" Glynda had not personally known the man, but knew his strong friendship with Sam and how this would affect him. "How are we going to tell Sam about this?"

"I-I don't know," Blake was the only one who replied, staring out the window and watching a storm over Beacon in the distance.

The power in Beacon had completely gone out, and now lightning raged all throughout Beacon and Vale with torrential downpours. Sam's body was glowing, and after seeing the power go out all of the nurses evacuated the hospital. Sam was absorbed into a ball of light, his body completely spasming.

* * *

"Now, onto the main event," Emerald said after kicking Tom's body out of the way. Weiss' eyes had widened with such a horror that she would never be able to unsee, something that now would remain in her nightmares. "Come on, you!" Emerald picked Weiss up by the throat again, placing her sword at Weiss' chest.

Ruby tried to get away again, but again she was beaten down brutally as she was left to a screaming mess. Jaune returned from getting Pyrrha to safety just to see the sight, and saw Weiss about to be killed. "WEISS, NO!" Jaune tried to run and reach out to her, he tried to distract Emerald from doing it, he tried doing anything he could, but he was far too late.

The sound of metal ripping through flesh silenced everything in the clearing, aside from Ruby's screams. Weiss tried to take in as much air as possible, but Emerald has stabbed right through her gut. Within moments, Weiss went limp and Emerald yanked her sword out of her, letting her body collapse onto the dirt.

* * *

"Weiss…" Blake managed to say before the airship shook like an earthquake had hit it. They looked towards Vale, and all they could see was a massive ball of light and a massive explosion that destroyed the entirety of Beacon Hospital.

"Sam…he…!" Glynda realized what was happening. In a flash, something that appeared to be anything but human flew out of the explosion, and was gone in an instant, headed straight for Vacuo.


	23. Chapter 22

Aside from the thud of Weiss' body, the clearing became eerily silent. Jaune had fallen to his knees, stilling reaching his hand forward. Ruby was collapsed on the ground from the beating Mercury, Roman, and Neo gave her just moments before, staring at Weiss and Emerald from a distance. Ozpin had managed to get himself onto one knee, eyes widened as he saw Weiss lay motionless on the ground with blood emptying out of her body. Roman and Neo even looked on with wide eyes, shocked at how brutal their Tetharan allies could be. Mercury had the smirk of a devil on him, and Emerald looked more than pleased with her work.

As the silence continued, the sounds of far off thunder and a light drizzle of rain came into the clearing. Ruby stood as the rain continued, wobbling until she found her balance. "You…you monsters!" she grabbed her scythe and beat down Roman and Neo as they tried to just get her back onto the ground.

As Mercury turned back towards Ruby, Jaune and Ozpin quickly jumped in his way. "If you want her, you'll have to get through me first!" Jaune threatened as best he could, while Ozpin stood much more confidently.

"I will die before you lay another hand on my students," Ozpin glared Mercury down, actually sending chills down his spine.

"You would be threatening Oz, if you didn't look like you were about to keel over," Mercury taunted, seeing through Ozpin's façade. As Mercury spoke, the thunder began getting louder and approaching rapidly. From the clearing they could see the lightning strikes getting closer and closer, and the rain began to fall heavier and heavier. The rain began falling so hard it was almost blinding, and the remaining survivors not only in the clearing but also in the city, took notice and looked up towards the sky.

"The last time the storms were like this," Ozpin remembered with horror. _That means…!_

 _CRASH!_

Lightning struck in the center of the clearing, sending shock waves that knocked those who were still standing onto the ground. As they recovered from the massive energy strike, they heard deep and distorted breathing and looked over to where the lightning stuck to see a freak of nature. There, Sam stood looking as if he were 14 feet tall. His clothes were ripped and tattered from the transformation, leaving only his pants and undershirt somewhat intact. His fists were the size of adult heads, with his arms, legs, and chest also overly massive. He eyes were pure white, with no pupils as he looked to the ground shaking from uncontrollable rage. Mercury jumped over to where Emerald was and helped her up, having trouble looking over to where Sam was glowing through the rain.

"Y…YOU," Sam's voiced pounded through the clearing louder than thunder, his footsteps shaking Remnant to its core. He began walking to Mercury and Emerald, still focusing on the ground as the clearing was drenched in rain.

"Oh my god," Emerald barely whispered out as she and Mercury finally saw Sam's form and remembered the nightmare from all of that time ago.

* * *

"We need to get there now!" Glynda tried to push them faster and faster. "What's happening now?" she asked Oobleck who had the live feed.

"The…the feed cut out as soon as lightning struck the center of the clearing they had been fighting," Oobleck replied in awe.

"How can Sam move that fast?" Blake asked in bewilderment.

"He's a Tetharan who's supercharged. One of his former guardians, his sidekick, his partner, and his girlfriend all just got killed on a live feed, of course he's pissed. From what I heard from the General we weren't the only ones watching," Glynda's eyes became distant and she sat down in the airship and rubbed her forehead.

"So this is what Ruby and Yang were talking about," Blake crossed her arms and leaned against the wall of the airship.

"What do you mean, Blake?" Oobleck questioned, unaware of how Sam's parents died. Glynda had heard stories from Ozpin, but never actually expected it to happen. Blake recounted the story of Cinder's group attacking Sam, Ruby, Yang, and their families and how the battle ended. "He certainly is something," Oobleck mused, sticking his hands into his pockets.

"He's lost it, and now who knows what is going to happen," Glynda held her head in her hands and tried to calm herself down.

"I wouldn't worry, Glynda, Sam only fought the bad guys whenever he was like this last," Blake tried to reassure her, with it seeming to have little effect.

"And who says it will happen like that again?" Glynda stared at her, eyes hopeless and filled with grief.

"Sam won't attack the good guys, he'll wipe those monsters off the face of Remnant and get everyone back to safety," Blake said with fake confidence

"He didn't do a great job of wiping them off the face of R emnant last time this happened, and what exactly do you mean by everyone?" Glynda didn't want any bright side anymore, she simply wanted to give up.

"Well whatever you say or think, I know he'll save them!" Blake shouted at her for her lack of trust in Sam. "He'll kill those four and make the White Fang and Cinder regret everything they've ever done!"

Glynda reacted with shock at the exclamations that Blake gave, but simply returned to her head being in her hands as they arrived with the warship Port was on.

* * *

Sam continued to walk towards them slowly, electricity sparking off of him and into the ground. Mercury and Emerald looked at each other quickly, before reloading their weapons and jumping away from each other. They both charged him at once, hitting him with their weapons and everything they had in a massive explosion. However, as the smoke faded from the explosion, Mercury had been blown back by the force that met him when he kicked Sam, and Emerald's sword had been caught by Sam. Sam began laughing maniacally, louder and louder as Emerald struggled to break her sword free from his grip.

"TELL ME, IS THIS THE ONE YOU GUTTED MY LOVE WITH? THE ONE YOU KILLED MY PARTNER WITH?" Sam after his fit of laughter. Emerald didn't respond, just continued to desperately get her sword back. Sam frowned with her lack of response, and simply crushed the sword into thousands of shards of metal in an instant. Her eyes widened as Sam grabbed the chain that had been attached to her sword, picking her up and throwing her around in a circle several times before smashing her into the ground multiple times, each with a sickening thud.

"ANSWER ME WHEN I QUESTION YOU!" Sam shouted with his distorted voice at Emerald, who remained unmoving on the ground after Sam had let go of her chain. Mercury knew he had to run in and save her, charging towards Sam with a loud battle cry and kicking towards him with as much force as he could. Sam grinned with malice and grabbed his legs from below the knees, holding him upside down. Mercury's eyes widened as he realized what Sam was about to do, and cried out in agony as he crushed the metal part of his legs. As Mercury continued to scream, Sam resumed in his laughter while the other survivors looked on in terror.

"Is…is that really Sam?" Jaune turned wide-eyed to his headmaster.

"That's him alright, and he's not done yet," Ozpin grimaced.

Sam shook him up and down, causing Mercury to scream louder as the pain rippled throughout his entire body. Eventually, Sam had his fun and grabbed Mercury's upper body with one hand and his legs with another. With a simple tug, he ripped off Mercury's robot legs and tossed him to the side as he continued to scream in agony. Sam looked at the legs as if they were trophies, before dropping them into the mud and walking towards Emerald again. She still laid motionless, but she began to try and push herself up as Sam grabbed her by her head and lifted her into the air.

"I. WILL. BREAK YOU!" Sam slammed her down into the mud with each word, sending shockwave strong enough to cause some buildings in the distance to collapse. Emerald's screams of pain as her body was being broken were muffled by Sam's palm covering her face, but Sam felt the vibrations of her voice and smiled at his handiwork.

Eventually, Emerald screams were no longer muffled as Sam removed his hand from her head and grabbed her upper and lower body like he had with Mercury. "SCREAM! SCREAM LOUDER!" Sam began squeezing her body, snapping her legs, arms, and some of her ribs as she coughed and screamed up blood. Sam's maniacal laughter continued throughout this, and when he felt satisfied with his revenge, he lifted her up into the air and smashed her spine down onto his knee, splitting her in two. Emerald's screams were cut off in an instant, her blood spraying over Sam's body. The survivors widened even more, watching the fighter who had been so hard to stop killed as if she were nothing.

Sam left her two halves in the mud as he walked over to where Mercury was laying, unable to move. His legs were bleeding profusely, and mud covered his body. He stared up at Sam with a mixture of pure hatred and unbelievable terror. Sam simply stepped his way over to Mercury's upper body, and forcefully planted his foot where his head was, creating a sickened crack as blood and brain matter spewed out onto the mud and blood stained ground. Roman and Neo couldn't believe what they were watching. Cinder's two most powerful warriors killed like they were a child's play thing. However, Roman and Neo almost vomited when they realized that they were next on his list.

Sam didn't stop to clean his foot of Mercury's blood and brain matter, simply stepping it deeper into the mud as he turned and faced Roman and Neo. The two quickly tried to run away, but as they turned Sam appeared in the direction they were turning to and were knocked down into the mud. He walked over to Roman first, wanting to finish this quickly. However, as Sam raised his fist to smash Roman's body into a puddle, Neo jumped in between them with her hands held up.

"Please, don't kill him!" Neo screamed at him, looking down with her eyes screwed shut. "Kill me, crush me, do whatever you want with me, but please leave him alone!" The four foot tall girl trembled in front of the giant 14 foot tall man before her, desperately trying to save Roman's life.

"WHY?" Sam asked simply, as if actually pausing to consider.

"We never wanted this! We never wanted to kill anyone! We were forced into this because Cinder saw that we were useful! All we ever wanted to do was change how the governments acted, not death and destruction!" Neo shouted, seeming to struggle with every word as she began to cry. "Roman has looked after me ever since the first day I met him, always protecting me from things that could hurt me in any way, so now it's my turn!" Neo's face turned pink, and she looked up into Sam's blank eyes with her begging multi-colored ones. "I love him, and I won't let you kill him! So if you are going to take anyone else, take me!"

"YOU KNOW OF WHAT I CAN DO TO YOU, BUT YET YOU STILL STAND IN THE WAY OF ME? YOU LOVE HIM THAT MUCH?" Sam questioned, his grin widening.

"Yes, I do! I don't care what you do to me! Just spare Roman, please…" Neo fell onto her knees, begging him. Sam was going to begin laughing again and simply kill the two anyway, but watching Neo beg clicked something in his mind. Instead of killing Neo and letting her internal organs stretch across the battlefield like he planned, he instead turned towards where his friends were, not saying a word. Roman stood next to Neo, looking down at her with a smile. She smiled back with a deeper red blush as Roman entwined his hand with hers.

"Sam, I'm so sorry," Ozpin told him, his voice filled with grief as Sam approached the unconscious and dead bodies of his friends. Sam ignored him, walking towards one body in particular. Ozpin, Ruby, and Jaune said nothing, simply following him over to Weiss' body. Sam picked her up and held her close to his body, checking her vitals and confirming her death. He looked towards the sky, tears streaming down his face as he screamed at the heavens. Unholy and distorted screams filled the clearing as the rain began to thin. Sam held Weiss as close to him as he could and as tightly as he could without hurting her, and continued to cry as the two began glowing. As they began glowing, Sam began shrinking down to his normal muscle size and height of 6 feet. They were glowing for minutes until the glow began to fade as Sam returned to his normal size, and beyond all miracles Weiss opened her eyes. Ruby, Ozpin, and Jaune looked on in amazement, with even Roman and Neo running over after the rain cleared and the sun began sinking beyond the horizon.

"S-Sam?" Weiss managed to cough out, her throat dry.

"Weiss," he simply whispered, holding her tightly and burying his head into her shoulder as Weiss wrapped her arms around him.

"Wait, how is that possible!?" Roman looked on in disbelief. "She was dead!"

"Perhaps there are still things to be discovered about Tetharans," Ozpin mused, watching the couple hold each other and cry.

"So how did he save her?" Jaune asked Ozpin.

"Well, the two of them were glowing, and he began shrinking back down into his normal size. There was no way that that much energy had been spent for Sam to return to his normal form, so he must have been using it healing Weiss's body," Ozpin replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Then why didn't he do that to save his parents?" Ruby questioned.

"The same reason he didn't do it to save the others, he ran out of energy," Ozpin answered. "Healing wound with aura is consuming enough, I'm sure bringing back the dead is even more exhausting."

"So, what now?" Roman asked awkwardly, as Neo still held onto his hand.

Ozpin was going to respond, but Sam cut him off as both he and Weiss rose to their feet. "Well you certainly aren't pardoned for this. Even if you were forced into the war, you were a criminal before as well. As compelling as your girlfriend's speech was to spare you, you are still going to need to pay for that," he told him, glaring at him.

"O-of course, whatever you need I can do," Roman bowed quickly, not wanting to blow his chance at redemption.

"Great, then you can help me by telling me all of the White Fang's deployments and any other information I see fit," Sam's glare softened into just a neutral expression.

"Wa-wait, that's it?" Roman asked in disbelief.

"Well, seeing as we've lost a few members of our party, and you two are looking for redemption, and you have information that will help end the war before more people die, then yes, that's it," Sam rolled his eyes, turning away from them with Weiss next to him.

"Commander, sir!" Allied forces began storming back into the clearing to get the wounded and dead and take them back to the camp, with one soldier running up to Sam and Weiss. "White Fang forces here are in full retreat. Despite everything that has happened here, we've won!"

"Thank you, soldier, please tell the Vacuo Council of this good news," Sam smiled and began walking towards the camp where their other unconscious friends were being treated with Weiss, Ozpin, Ruby, Jaune, Roman, and Neo right behind him.

 **Chapter 22 is finished! For those who are curious, the reason there is no AN in the last chapter is because it didn't seem right to put one there. It was much more dark and powerful without one that I just didn't write one and was happy with it. So, what did you guys think? The battle of Vacuo is in the books, however its aftermath will be lasting for quite some time down the road. Now only one obstacle stands in the way of the good guys and victory: Cinder. How will she react when she learns Mercury and Emerald are dead, and that Roman and Neo have switched sides? How will the good guys move forward in the face of death, and how will they react to Roman and Neo joining them? All in due time. Thank you guys so much for reading! I know this one was on the short side, I haven't written a chapter under 3,000 words since Chapter 14, but I think the size fit the chapter well. Please, leave a review telling me what you thought! I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	24. Chapter 23

Despite their victory, the Allied camp was eerily silent. Soldiers either rummaging through the streets or sitting and laying on the ground in disbelief at what had taken place. No one said anything, and the only noises that could be heard came from a makeshift hospital at the center of their camp. Cries of grief filled the air, causing soldiers around the hospital to tense up from it.

"He can't be dead!" Yang screamed, crying over her father's dead body, with Ruby right next to her.

"Dammit it Tom, why?!" Seth gritted his teeth as punched the ground next to his dead friend, with Sam and Chaney on either side of him.

"Penny…" Pyrrha and Jaune sat next to her body, with the others spaced out behind the three groups. Austin, Qrow, Ren, and Nora had been taken into other chambers of the hospital to be treated for their wounds while Ozpin, Weiss, Roman, and Neo were treated by the rest of the group. The others that were already at the hospital when Sam and the others arrived hadn't noticed Roman and Neo, and now the two stood very awkwardly away from the group to avoid an encounter.

"Everyone…I'm so sorry…" Sam started, walking in front of the groups. "You had to come here without me, and because of that people we love and cared about…died."

"Sam, you know we don't blame you for that," Chaney told him, tightening her grip on Seth's shoulder as he continue to cry with grief.

"Regardless of whether you blame me or not, I am responsible for all of you. I put myself in a place to be injured and because of that, I couldn't save you," Sam replied, downcast.

"Sam, just stop," Ruby managed to say between tears. "You can't say you're responsible for this because you were hurt! If that's the case, then we are at fault for leaving you to get injured in the first place."

"Besides, this is no time for people to be blaming themselves or anyone else. We need to recover, grieve, and train for what is to come next," Ozpin spoke authoritatively.

"He has a point guys," Jaune sighed as he stood, with Pyrrrha joining him after wiping her eyes. "Whether we like it or not, Cinder is still out there, and there is still a war to win."

"Can you all just back off?!" Yang startled everyone by activating her semblance and shouting at them.

"Yang, we know it's hard, but…" Sam tried to reason.

"But what?! My father is DEAD, Sam. He's GONE. And don't think I don't know what you did for the heiress over there!" Yang pointed and shouted accusingly.

"What are you talking about?" Weiss was taken back by Yang's sudden ferocity.

"I heard about the fight! You died, Weiss, yet Sam was able to somehow bring you back! Why not Tom? Why not Penny? Why not my dad?!" Yang continued to shout and cry, her voice breaking with each word.

"Yang, of course if I could save them I would. To be honest, I didn't think it was possible to bring someone back from the dead. Even then, whatever I did to bring back Weiss drained all of my supercharge away, leaving me with just my basic powers," Sam tried to calm her down.

"You didn't even try as far as I know! How could you do that to someone who was like a father figure to you? How could you do that to one of your best friends? How?!" Yang glared at Sam with deep red eyes.

"I'm grieving them too Yang!" Sam shouted, causing the hospital to shake slightly and lightning struck close by. "You think I want them to be dead? I'd give anything to turn back time and save everyone, but I can't! I'm sorry, but I can't!"

Yang glared at him for a little while longer, before deactivating her semblance and walking away. Ruby looked from Sam to her half-sister and back before running after Yang. Seth stood next, staring Sam directly in the eyes.

"I can make peace with the fact you couldn't reach us in time to save Tom or the others, but why in the hell would you spare those two criminals behind us?!" Seth yelled, causing Roman and Neo to tense up.

"We need their information, and besides that I will not push away extra help. Besides, if they even step a toe out of line I'll kill them anyway," Sam responded, with Seth softening his gaze.

"Don't you remember Sam? What we found out back before the war started? Roman has been killing Tetharans!" Seth pointed a finger at Roman, who tensed up even more with a look of confusion on his face.

"The hell are you talking about? I couldn't even contend with Tetharan slackers, let alone manage to kill one," Roman defended himself, with Neo nodding.

"Are you telling the truth?" Sam walked towards the two of them slowly, with a hint of the murderous intent he showed Emerald and Mercury.

"Yes, I'm telling the truth! Even if I had the element of surprise and armor I wouldn't be able to actually kill a Tetharan," Roman sighed and relaxed the best he could to show he was being genuine.

"If not you, then who?" Sam stopped and questioned.

"To be honest I don't really know what you guys are even talking about, so I have no clue," Roman answered while adjusting his hat.

"Regardless, that doesn't matter right now. Sam, Weiss, please escort Roman and Neo to the Intelligence Center in camp and find out everything you can. The rest of us shall stay here, heal, and grieve as we await what comes next," Ozpin ordered, with the others simply nodding agreement. Roman and Neo followed Weiss and Sam out of the hospital, and went to the Intelligence Center to try and formulate a strategy for attacking Tethara.

* * *

"M-my lady," a White Fang sergeant bowed before Cinder who sat on her throne.

"What is it? Do you have the report from Vacuo?" Cinder asked nonchalantly.

"Yes, ma'am, and we have bad news," the sergeant gulped as he could feel Cinder's gaze burn directly through his skull.

"What is it?" Cinder questioned.

"Emerald and Mercury…have been slain, my lady," the sergeant managed. After Cinder said nothing, he continued, "They were killed by Sam Engle, who arrived on the battlefield shortly after Emerald had mortally wounded Weiss and they killed Taiyang Xiao Long, Penny Polendina, and Tom Evered. Roman and Neo have either turned over to the other side or have been captured by Allied forces. We…we lost, ma'am."

"What did Sam look like as he killed Emerald and Mercury?" Cinder questioned, not caring that the two were dead and that Roman and Neo had betrayed her.

"R-reports showed him as a massive muscular giant, which crushed Emerald and Mercury with ease," the sergeant finished his report.

"I see…thank you for the report, now leave," Cinder ordered, which the soldier complied very quickly leaving Cinder by herself in the throne room. _He's beginning to learn how to use his awakened form…_ Cinder thought to herself, tapping her fingers onto her thigh as she continued to think. After a moment, she let out another sigh and got up out of the throne to oversee her plans for the end.

* * *

"Sis, what the heck was that?" Ruby questioned her older half-sister intensely. "You know Sam cares about us like we are his siblings, of course he would have saved dad if he had the chance!"

"He did have the chance, and he didn't," Yang argued.

"He didn't even know he could do that!" Ruby countered. "Yang you know Sam isn't responsible for dad's death, and he killed those responsible!"

"I don't care! Dad is dead! And he didn't do anything to try and bring him back like he did with Weiss!" Yang broke down again.

"Would you rather have let Weiss stay dead?" Ruby asked angrily, unhappy with her sister's words.

"At least then it would be fair!" Yang shouted before realizing what she said.

"Sam lost both of his parents, one of his best friends, his robot apprentice, and a guardian figure to him. I think he understands plenty about what we've lost," Ruby glared at her sister, turning away from her and walking away. Yang reached out to try and stop Ruby from walking away, but couldn't manage it and instead broke down onto the ground in a fit of tears.

* * *

"Ozpin!" Glynda ran up to the headmaster and hugged him tightly as their airship landed in Vacuo. Blake, Oobleck, and Port followed after her surveying the ruined city.

"It is good to see you all again," Ozpin smiled and returned the hug.

"Where are my teammates?" Blake asked nervously.

"I'm not sure where Yang and Ruby ran off to, but Weiss is with Sam in the Intelligence Center over there," Ozpin pointed to a building with a makeshift radio satellite on top of it.

"Alright, thanks," Blake nodded with a smile before taking off. Oobleck and Port came up after Blake had left and Glynda broke the hug.

"What do we do now, sir?" Oobleck asked politely.

"We follow after Blake and see what comes next," Ozpin replied, walking after Blake with Glynda, Port, and Oobleck following close behind. While they are walking, a cloud of ships appear over the horizon bearing the Atlesian insignia.

"I guess everyone is here now," Glynda pointed out, with the Vale, Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas command represented now in Vacuo.

"Hopefully that means the end of the war is coming," Port stated, with the others nodding a silent agreement.

* * *

"Where is she? Where is Penny?!" Ironwood rushed out of his warship with Anselm and Winter directly behind him. A soldier overheard the General and pointed him in the direction of the hospital just as Weiss walked out of the Intelligence Center nearby where they landed.

"Weiss!" Anselm ran over and hugged his daughter tightly, with Winter following and joining in the hug.

"Dad! Winter! I didn't expect you to be here with Atlas forces," Weiss reacted with genuine surprise as she tried to return the hug.

"And the last we saw was you on the ground dying!" Anselm retorted, holding Weiss closer.

"You guys saw that?" Weiss' eyes widened slightly, becoming sadder.

"Yeah, we did," Winter replied. "The feed cut out a little bit after you collapsed though, so we didn't know what was going on."

"The feed cutting out was Sam's doing," Weiss told them, finally breaking the hug. "After I was stabbed he went…just a tad crazy and blew up Beacon Hospital in a fit of rage before flying over here in a matter of seconds."

"W-what?!" Anselm's eyes widened.

"Well, that's the short version of what he told me. If you want the full story, you'll have to hear it from him inside the Intelligence Center," Weiss gestured to the building that she had just came out of. By the time she finished her statement, Ironwood had returned from visiting Penny's body in the hospital with a downcast expression on his face. After seeing Weiss, his face lit up as he ran over to the family.

"Weiss, you're okay!" Ironwood smiled.

"All thanks to Sam, yes," Weiss replied with a smile.

"Sam is here? I thought he was injured," Ironwood's smile turned into a look of confusion.

"It's a long story, please, come inside, we have a lot to discuss," Weiss told them, leading them into the Intelligence Center.

"Despite our losses, we have managed to overcome overwhelming odds with the assistance of Vale and Mistral soldiers. With the appearance of Atlesian reinforcements, we can safely assume Vacuo is now safe from further invasion," Chancellor Pierce began her report for the Council and other gathered members of leadership from the four kingdoms. "However, one threat still remains. Cinder, who is currently using Tethara as her base of operations." A holographic map of Remnant popped up in front of the group, with Tethara lighting up as a red dot. "So far, our Valean allies have managed to destroy Adam Taurus, as well as destroy Emerald and Mercury here in Vacuo, and turn two commanders from the White Fang to our side." She motioned towards Roman and Neo, who nodded their heads in acknowledgement. "With their help, we now know the defensive positions of the White Fang around Tethara, and can plan our invasion accordingly. I will be sending the details of these fortifications to each and every one of you so we may begin planning. Are there any questions?" No response. "Good, you are all dismissed."

* * *

Austin sat up in his bed, shaking his head violently as pain shot through it. The memories of the battle began flowing back in and he looked around quickly to see he was safe in a hospital. "Relax, soldier, we won," a voice called from the door to his room.

"W-who?" Austin turned to see Sam standing there, leaning against the doorway.

"Hello, old friend," Sam smiled and walked over to his bedside.

"I thought you were injured or something? And in Vale. How long was I out?" Austin questioned, ignoring the fact this was the first time they had seen each other in a little over one hundred years.

"Not that long," Sam chuckled, "I arrived earlier today during the battle after healing up completely back in Vale." It was mostly true, and all Austin needed to know for now.

"So what happened to Emerald, Mercury, Roman, and Neo?" Austin asked.

"Emerald and Mercury are wasted, and Roman and Neo jumped ship," Sam answered.

"Wow! Pretty impressive Sam. Though I will take credit for almost killing Mercury," Austin informed him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So what have you been doing here in Vacuo?" Sam inquired.

"Well, after the war ended all those years ago, I made my way over here and became friends with the Chancellor at the time. I became friends with him, his daughter, and now his granddaughter. With their help, I've been trying to locate as many Tetharans as I can to try and bring us back together. You dropped off the radar and were nowhere to be found, and because of that we kind of lost hope of rebuilding Tethara," Austin explained.

"I see. Well, I'm here now, so what's next do ya think?" Sam crossed his arms and gave a sarcastic smile.

"Well, maybe we could enlist some help for taking back home?" Austin thought out loud.

"I'm not sure I follow," Sam gaze a confused look.

"You're the prince of Tethara, and with the death of your parents, the king! If other Tetharans see your public return, it could push them into reuniting as one people again," Austin elaborated.

"Well, let's keep this between us for now, okay?" Sam asked politely.

"Yeah, no problem. Its good to have you back Sam," Austin told him as Sam turned to leave to visit the other wounded.

"Its good to be back," Sam smiled.

* * *

"You two okay?" Jaune asked Ren and Nora who were both barely conscious on their hospital beds.

"I've been better, but I'll make it," Ren replied, with Nora simply giving a thumbs-up in response.

"That's a relief," Pyrrrha sighed. "After all the damages and losses we've taken, we couldn't lose you guys too."

"As a matter of fact, Ren still needs to do something for me," Nora pouted to the best of her ability despite the injuries.

"Um, what is that?" Ren seemed confused and didn't quite remember what he had said before passing out on the battlefield. Suddenly, it clicked in his mind and he let out a long 'Ohhhh'. "Nora Valkyrie, I love you and would like to be by your side for the rest of our days."

"Geez Ren, you just had to say you loved me, not propose," Nora teased playfully. "I love you too Ren," she smiled, with Ren returning the smile.

"Congratulations you two!" Pyrrha smiled along with Jaune. Jaune reached over and grabbed her hand, causing Pyrrha to blush slightly at the contact which was not missed by both Ren and Nora.

"I guess you guys have something to say to each other too?" Ren smirked along with Nora giving a big smile of approval. Rather than say anything, Jaune simply turned to Pyrrha and kissed her. The kiss lasted almost a full minute, with Ren and Nora just waiting patiently for them to finish. "Congratulations to you two as well," Ren told them as the four came together in a group hug.

* * *

"Ruby, is that you?" Qrow managed to say in almost a whisper.

"Yeah, its me Uncle Qrow," Ruby forced a smile, stroking her uncle's hair slightly.

"Is…is Tai alright?" he asked, taking labored breaths.

"He…he's dead, Uncle Qrow," Ruby's fake smile faded, with a single tear streaking down her cheek.

"Where's your sister?" Qrow continued to question.

"She was grieving over dad's body and then starting yelling hateful things at Sam, who showed up last second to kill Emerald and Mercury by the way, and stormed off. I followed after her to try and get her to calm down, which she only responded with more hateful stuff about Sam not saving dad like he saved Weiss and what not…its hard to explain," Ruby rambled, with more tears welling up in her eyes.

"Don't think any less of your sister, she's just grieving and because of that her emotions are a bit all over the place," Qrow brushed strands of hair the fell onto Ruby's face out of the way. "It's going to take some time for us to learn to cope with it."

"I know…I just wish she didn't say those things," Ruby replied.

"I know, I do too," Yang's voice came from the door to Qrow's room.

Ruby let out a long sigh. "I'll see you later Uncl-" she was cut off.

"Ruby, please stay, I'm sorry I said those things. I wasn't thinking straight and took my anger out on Sam instead of just letting it out slowly," Yang desperately apologized. Ruby said nothing at first, not making eye contact with her sister. Then, Ruby sighed again and hugged Yang, pulling her close.

"Its okay, just don't do it again," Ruby's voice softened.

"I'll try my best," Yang let out a small giggle and hugged her sister back.

 **And that's all for this chapter! Finals are finally over with and I'm back home from college, yay! I hope you all enjoyed this little chapter to get us back into what's going on in Vacuo. Loss affects people in several different ways, and don't expect the grief to be gone for some time. Now, after everything that has happened, only one battle remains: The Battle of Tethara! Stick around folks, because we still have a little while longer before this book comes to a close. Thank you guys so much for reading! Please leave a review with any questions, comments, concerns, ideas, or anything else you can think of. I will see you in the next chapter!**


	25. Chapter 24

"Attention, everyone," Sam called up a meeting of every Vale officer in Vacuo. The commanders gathered around, paying attention to a small map of Remnant where Sam had Vale's invasion assignment. "We'll be heading home within a few hours, and preparing for this final attack. We will be pushing in the same direction we did before the Vacuo assault, up to the village where Blake and I defeated Adam Taurus." Everyone turned and nodded their heads to Blake in acknowledgement and turned back to Sam. "After we make it to that town, we are going to hit and take out these two fortifications," he gestured to the map where two dots lit up. "These two locations are both forts as well as anti-air defense stations, which means our forces will be charging in on the ground. Once we've destroyed these two positions, we make a push for the Tetharan Valley. Once we are outside the mountain ranges, we will await the other armies to arrive and begin the final assault. I'll be sending specific details of your orders to each of your units so we have everything outlined. Any questions?" Sam looked around and only saw determined faces. "Excellent, you are dismissed."

"Your public speaking abilities always surprise me, Sam," Ozpin chuckled as he and the others from the group came up to him.

"Yeah, I used to be terribly shy, but I guess being a leader changes things," Sam scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.

"You did great. Despite everything that has happened here, the commanders look confident and ready to keep pushing," Glynda praised.

"I can only hope they stay that way when the invasion starts. While the armies we faced here were massive, if what Roman has told me is true, there are even more awaiting us inside the Tetharan Valley," Sam grimaced.

"It doesn't matter how many are in front of us now, because now we're all back together and ready for anything," Weiss smiled as the others gave a nod of agreement with smirks on their faces.

"I know. I'm just not looking forward to facing Cinder again," Sam admitted.

"You destroyed Emerald and Mercury without a second thought, flew over 1,000 miles in a matter of seconds, and it seems like you control the weather with you emotions. I think you can take her," Jaune commented, with a chuckle.

"Mercury and Emerald were easily destroyed by my Berserk form, yes, but it's a form I can only bring out in a pure rage of loss as far as I can tell, and even with that Cinder was able to withstand it all of those years ago. I destroyed Emerald and Mercury back then too, but Cinder took more hits and was still able to stand," Sam explained as the memory of the fight returned.

"Stop doubting yourself, you can do this," Weiss scolded.

"She's right, you stopped her before and you can do it again," Ruby joined in, with Yang nodding her head with a thumbs-up.

"I'm sorry for blaming our dad's death on you, it was childish and I was thinking straight. But we don't have to worry about that happening again because you'll put Cinder in her rightful place!" Yang gave a big grin to prove her point was genuine.

"Wait, hold up a second, you said your Berserk form?" Austin interrupted as he walked into the Vale meeting from.

"Geez, if you're going to eavesdrop, you might as well just join us in the conversation," Sam sighed.

"Sorry, Vacuo's meeting already ended and I wasn't sure if I was allowed in," Austin smirked and leaned against a shoulder. "So, Berserk?"

"Yeah, its this form where I start supercharging my body and it grows to a size I shouldn't naturally be. Back when I was still a toddler I grew to the size of a full grown man, and this last time I was like 15 feet tall and super massive," Sam explained.

"Sounds an awful lot like an Awakened Form to me," Austin thought out loud.

"Awakened Form?" Glynda questioned.

"Yeah, everyone has one in a way. Ever get super emotional and let out a burst of power you didn't know you had?" Austin questioned every, who either responded with a confused glance or a nod. "When you achieve that power, your body is Awakened to its full potential. Tetherans have this too, and some special warriors, faunus, human, or tetharan can have such a powerful Awakened potential it gives them a new form. Think back to the beginning of the last fight, when Weiss got pushed over the edge and summoned that giant knight. Until then, say if I'm wrong, but you hadn't really ever summoned. Well, how could you just summon something of that size on your first real summon?"

"Alright, so we each have this Awakened Form. Can it be mastered?" Sam asked.

"Don't you remember anything from school?" Austin shook his head condescendingly. "It is possible, but incredibly difficult. You only accessed its power twice, and some don't ever get to access it. If you were to master its power, you would need to have constant exposure to the feeling that unlocked power and be able to use it whenever you desired. That isn't exactly a piece of cake to do."

"I'll have you know I never really got the chance to go to a Tetharan school," Sam frowned. "So I have to be exposed to the feeling of rage and loss so much that I can just think of it to unlock my power?"

"In theory, yes. No one has ever really done it before, but they say that's how you would need to do it," Austin shrugged his shoulders. "I never really mastered Okaran King, which is why I can only do it for short periods of time."

"Wait, so Okaran King is your Awakened Form?" Pyrrha asked.

"No, it isn't, but its related to it. The one time I achieved my Awakened Form was with the Okaran King, and I managed to use it with such a mastery that I didn't struggle at all and had excess power afterwards, even though at full power that form would drain me easily," Austin explained.

"So does that mean Cinder has one?" Nora asked, her voice somewhat timid.

"We have no reason to believe she doesn't," Austin answered. "And if she is as powerful as you say, I'd hate to find out what hers is the hard way."

"Maybe there is a different way of mastering this Awakened Form power," Anselm's voice could be heard before he walked in with Winter behind him.

"What do you mean, dad?" Weiss asked after waving hello to her sister.

"Maybe we could build something that could draw out and control that power, giving you the ability to use it," Anselm answered, pulling out his scroll and typing something the others couldn't see. "You look like you need a new set of armor anyway," he gestured to the fact Sam's uniform had been ruined by the transformation, with the overcoat and armor pants destroyed leaving only a torn undershirt and black pants.

"You do have a point," Sam laughed along with some of the others. "Do you think you could do that?"

"Of course, the Schnee Dust Company can make anything we set our minds to," Anselm smiled, with Winter nodding her head in agreement. "It will take some time, as well as tests, but I'm sure we can get you that suit."

"Could you complete it before the Tetharan Invasion?" Sam questioned hopefully.

"Unfortunately, no. Something like this has obviously never been invented before, and we haven't even made a prototype yet. You are going to have to defeat Cinder on your own," Anselm sighed.

"That's alright, I understand," Sam's head dropped sadly.

"Anselm, Winter, come on, we're heading out!" Ironwood's voice called from the hallway,

"You guys have to leave already?" Weiss asked, disappointed.

"Unfortunately it seems so. I'm so happy that you're okay, and hopefully we'll be able to see each other more often after this blasted war finally ends," Anselm hugged his daughter tightly.

"It was great to meet you, sis!" Winter also hugged Weiss, with the latter returning the hug quickly.

"It was great to meet you, too. I am pretty glad I have a sibling now, makes me feel like I have another person like Mom that I could talk to," Weiss smiled, though sad at the memory of her mother.

"I miss Theresia too, but soon, once the invasion had been completed, we will finally have some closure that the White Fang won't harm anyone else," Anselm told his daughters, determined. Both of them nodded, giving a few more hugs of goodbye before Anselm and Winter left.

"I honestly didn't expect Atlas to leave so soon, but I'm sure they're just looking forward to the war's end," Chancellor Pierce walked in just after Anselm and Winter left.

"Even though I hate to say it, we'll need to be heading out soon too. We have to get back to Vale and prepare for invasion as well," Sam told her.

"Not without saying bye to me first!" Chaney ran into the room quickly. "Sorry, the Mistral meeting held over," she explained.

"Actually, Chaney, I was wondering if the Mistral forces would like to travel back with us?" Sam asked politely.

"Hm? Why is that?" Chaney seemed confused.

"I wanted to talk with you about something, that's all," Sam smiled.

"Very well, we may travel together, though I won't be staying in Vale for long. My home back in Mistral is calling to me," Chaney smiled back.

"Alright, if you must go, then we shall look forward to seeing you on the battlefield in a month's time," Chancellor Pierce bowed to the group, with them bowing back.

"Hey, Sam, be thinking about what we talked about in the hospital, okay?" Austin asked as they began to leave.

"Of course, I'll be in touch whenever I make my decision," Sam waved goodbye and followed his friends to the Vale airships.

* * *

"What's this about, Sam?" Chaney ask as they were sitting in his office on a capital Vale warship.

"I wanted to speak more on something we've talked about before, and whether you are Tetharan or not," Sam said slowly.

"I'm not Cinder's daughter and I'm not Tetharan! There! That's it!" Chaney stood up fiercely.

"Chaney, I need you to relax. The fact that you're Tetharan is no longer up for debate, its obvious you are," Sam replied calmly.

"How? How is it so obvious?" Chaney was still angry.

"You became a full-fledged huntress at 15, as well as the commander of Mistral forces after what happened to your father. You went toe to toe against Emerald Sustrai, managed to mortally wound her even though you were also injured. Not only that, but even when you had suffered from the injuries, you healed rapidly and were back on your feet by the time the fighting resumed. Now, Ms. Ashcroft, how do you respond to that?" Sam knew he had her cornered there.

"I-I…well if I'm Tetharan how come I don't remember the first one hundred years of my life?" Chaney countered.

"You have amnesia then. Brain damage is much easier to explain than sudden rapid ability and healing capabilities, Chaney," Sam finished. "Now please, sit down."

Chaney let out a long sigh and sat down as Sam had asked. "Do you know what me accepting myself being Tetharan means, Sam? It means Cinder is almost certainly my mother, and Jeff isn't my dad," Chaney looked to the ground sadly.

"Maybe not your biological father, but he loved you as if you were his own, and that's all that matters," Sam tried to cheer her up, succeeding slightly. "Besides, we have no evidence to believe Cinder is your mother than her appearance. I'm sure you could find a human that looks a lot like me but we aren't related."

"Yes, but the chances of that aren't incredibly high. What if she is my mother?" Chaney looked up at Sam.

"So what if she is your mother? What changes?" Sam shrugged his shoulders.

"E-everything! My life is a lie! I was born from an anarchist woman who people might see me following her!" Chaney sputtered. "And who knows what happened to me the first hundred years of my life that I don't remember!"

"Relax, Chaney, your life isn't a lie, and she has no influence on you that we can even try to pin on you," Sam tried to calm her down. "And what happen the first hundred years of your life doesn't matter, just the fact that you're here is what counts."

"Maybe you're right, I don't know. I just need time to process this," Chaney stood to leave the office.

"Very well. We'll be having the funeral service tomorrow evening at sundown if you will still be in Vale," Sam stood with her to say their goodbyes.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss saying one last goodbye to Tom for anything," Chaney gave Sam a hug, before waving goodbye and walking out of the office.

* * *

"Hello, and thank you all for coming. I'd like to say a few words regarding those we have lost, if you wouldn't mind. Taiyang was like a father figure to me. He helped raise me along with my parents when I was very young before their death, and even some afterwards. We fought alongside each other up until mine and Blake's fight with Adam, and he showed incredible courage during the battle of Vacuo. He will be missed by friends, family, and loved ones," Sam began his speech, with several hundred in attendance from the Vale military and the citizens of Vale.

"Tom Evered was like a brother to me. He was by my side from the moment I joined the Vale Defense Force, and was my partner to the very end. We fought together, laughed together, were injured together, and lived to see another day together. He died defending his friends, even when he knew he didn't stand a chance, and I could never repay that sacrifice and courage. I will miss him so much, from today through every battle that is to come after this," Sam motioned to the casket of Tom Evered, with others silently acknowledging it.

"The last of our friends we lost wasn't one of our own. She was a robot manufactured by Atlas to become a new type of soldier. Though she was made for combat, she was kind and caring, curious to learn everything she could in her short life. Penny Polendina could not be with us today, as her body was taken back to Atlas, but we shall still recognize her sacrifice and her service to the people of Vale and to the world," Sam gestured to an open space where Penny's body will be. "Now, I will open the floor for others to come up and speak. Please, if you have anything to share, please come forward."

Yang and Ruby were the first to step forward, who came up together. "Taiyang was the greatest father figure I could ask for, and I'm sure my younger sister would say the same. Even after losing our mother when we were very young, he did everything he could to make sure we were happy and had a good life. He taught me how to fight, and, well, everything. I'm going to miss him for the rest of my life, just like my mom, but for him I'll try to keep pushing myself to get better and better every day," Yang said her speech, with Ruby just nodding with tears flowing.

Seth stood next, with Chaney there to support him. "I didn't know Tom for very long, like Sam did, but we served in the VDF together, and we stood together against all odds at the battle of Mistral, and I will never forget that. We became close friends, and I wish I could just rewind time and do something different so he would still be here even though I know I can't. I miss the big guy, and I'm so thankful I got to know him when I did. I'll see you on the other side, Tom. Its been an honor serving with you," Seth managed while shedding a few tears. Chaney held his hand and lead him back to their seats while Weiss stood next.

"I'm sure none of you knew Penny, but I had the great opportunity to meet her in her short life, and while I must say she was quite odd she was a very good friend. She pushed to learn everything she could, trying to understand what made us humans and faunus who we are. My only wish is that she figured out what is was before her death, and I hope that she's resting peacefully on the other side. Thank you everyone for coming, once again, and if you would like to come up and pay respects, now is the time," Weiss bowed politely, going to each coffin to pay respects. Sam followed behind her, and then the crowd of hundreds of Vale soldiers and citizens stood to pay respects as well.

"I know Tom was never much for popularity, but I hope he's proud of what he was able to accomplish and the fact that all of these people know he did," Sam told Weiss after they left the funeral.

"I have a feeling he's looking down on us from whatever afterlife there is with a smiling face knowing he didn't die in vain," Weiss grabbed Sam's hand and they shared a quick kiss before looking out over the vast amount of stars above them. As they watched, 3 shooting stars shot by in that instance, securing the idea in Sam's head that they were at peace now.

 **Finally back in Vale! We were in Vacuo for like 12 chapters! Crazy. But AWESOME! The Vacuo Arc is completed, and now the preparation for the final battle begins. Those who have been lost will be missed, and they shall be with us through til the end. Thank you guys so much for reading! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, or ideas, please leave a review! I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	26. Chapter 25

"Hey, Sam! Good to hear from you. Thought about what we talked about before?" Austin answered the call on his scroll.

"Yes, I have thought about it, and decided we may need the extra help," Sam admitted. It had been one week since the funeral, leaving only three before the invasion and Sam wanted to be as prepared for the final fight as possible.

"Great! Well, all you'll need to do is send a message out on the CCT to each of the kingdoms asking the Tetharans to gather wherever you wish, whether it be Vale or anywhere else. If the order came from me, I doubt anyone would listen. You, on the other hand, will get their attention. I'll be watching for whenever it comes on," Austin sounded relieved over the scroll's speakers, but it could just be Sam's imagination.

"Right, see you later," Sam chuckled and ended the call.

"So you really plan on gathering an army of Tetharans?" Seth questioned from the door to Sam's office.

"At this point, I can't be too careful," Sam replied with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"How do you think the other kingdoms will respond?" Seth reasoned softly.

"I don't know, I know that Pierce and Vacuo would be okay with it, as well as Ozpin and Vale, probably even Chaney and Mistral. I'm not sure how the people of Atlas would react though," Sam thought out loud.

"You think Ironwood and Anselm doubt you?" Seth seemed surprised.

"No, of course not, I'm more worried about what they people beneath them will think when I make the announcement," Sam clarified.

"Don't worry about that, Sam, if you think having the reinforcements will help, then by all means do it. I certainly won't turn away any help," Seth reassured him. "I know Tom wouldn't either, if he were here right now."

"Heh, maybe a couple of years ago he would, but not now, you're right," Sam chuckled and lifted his head. "Very well. I'll head to the CCT to send out the message."

"Cool, well I'll be sure to let anyone know where you are if they ask for you," Seth smiled and turned to leave the office. Sam followed after, determined to bring as much help as possible to their side.

* * *

"For those of you who do not know who I am or do not recognize me, my name is Sam Engle, son of Mark and Susan, the former king and queen of Tethara. Since the fall of our city, they have passed leaving me as the sole survivor of the Royal Family. We are at war, and our opponent is led by a very powerful Tetharan, so I am asking for all Tetharans to come together to finally destroy the evil that has plagued us ever since the Tetharan Civil War! I understand if you are apprehensive in coming to join us, but the fate of the world hinges on this battle. Should we lose, the world could very well be lost to darkness. But, with your help, we can prevent it. Join me, and rally to Vale! For Tethara, for Remnant!" Sam finished his speech through thousands of TV screens all around the world. Some citizens were shocked, others contemplating the option, others were angry at the notion of the return of Tethara, others were happy about it, and some let the chips fall where they may.

"So, how did I do?" Sam asked Weiss, who had already been at the CCT sending a report to Atlas of how preparations were going.

"You did great, so now we just need to wait for anyone to show up," Weiss smiled and gave Sam a peck on the cheek.

"How's your team doing?" Sam asked as he returned the kiss to Weiss' cheek.

"We've been sparring more and more, trying to get as strong as we can. Yang has better control of her semblance now, Blake can manage three clones, Ruby has gotten even faster, and I've managed to summon some smaller knights than the one I made in Vacuo," Weiss told him.

"Awesome! Sounds like you guys will be ready for the fight," Sam sighed relief at the news.

"We were ready regardless, the training simply gives us another edge," Weiss scoffed at the thought that they hadn't already been prepared.

"Hey, Sam!" a voice called out from behind he and Weiss, causing the two to turn and see Blake run up to them out of breath.

"Blake! Good to see you're recovery went over smoothly. What's up?" Sam questioned at the sight of seeing Blake winded.

"I saw your message to the other Tetharans, and I guess I finally realized that your people aren't the only ones who need to redeem themselves through this final fight," Blake straightened up and caught her breath by the time she finished.

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked curiously.

"I've been a part of the White Fang from back when they were just a peaceful organization moving for equality, which means I was very young. I wasn't in it alone, my parents were also a part of it. Not just a little part, either, my father used to be the head of the White Fang," Blake explained solemnly. "My father had disagreements with other faunus who had power in the White Fang, and stepped down as leader and fled with my mom."

"I'm sorry to hear that Blake, where did they go?" Sam shared a sympathetic expression.

"They didn't go alone. They took a faction of the White Fang with them, their own army, in case the rest of the White Fang ever came after them," Blake continued. "They're on a small island in the corner of the world. I can take you there, and maybe my father would be willing to help."

"When was the last time you saw your father?" Weiss inquired.

"When he left the White Fang, back when I was 8," Blake answered sadly.

"I would like very much to meet your father, Blake. When can we go?" Sam got straight to the point, which Blake appreciated.

"We can go whenever you like," Blake answered, turning away. "You know where to find me whenever you're ready to leave."

"Maybe we should wait," Weiss started, with Sam giving her a questioning glance. "You just sent out a message for Tetharans to join you here at Vale. If they got here and you weren't, they'd think it was a fake signal meant to draw them out, or something else radical."

"I guess you've got a point. We'll give it a couple of days, and if no one comes we will leave for wherever Blake's family is," Sam nodded his head. The two shared one last kiss before walking away from the CCT and back towards the dorms to take a quick break.

* * *

Weiss woke up in a cold sweat, screaming as she had a nightmare of the previous battle. She quickly tried to catch her breath and calm herself down before eventually just breaking down into tears. Sam, who was lying in bed next to her heard this and sat up with a look of concern. "Is everything alright?" he asked gently.

"I-I'm fine, it was just a dream," Weiss managed to say, wiping away her tears in an attempt to hide her face from Sam.

"Weiss, you can tell me what's bothering you," Sam rested a hand on her shoulder and rubbed gently.

"Just a nightmare, it doesn't matter, let's just go back to sleep," Weiss wanted to avoid the topic, laying back down under the sheets facing away from Sam.

"Okay, if that's what you want," Sam sounded disappointed but laid down next to his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her. Weiss knew that Sam wanted to help, but there wouldn't be anything he could do anyway, so she just sighed and closed her eyes again, allowing herself to snuggle into Sam's body.

Darkness. Weiss tried to look around, but she couldn't even tell which way was up. She looked around until eventually she saw a figure in the distance. She tried running up to it, but her body didn't want to move. Eventually, the figure turned towards her and walked slowly. Weiss could just make out Tom's face, and her eyes widened as she saw his body covered in wounds.

"You let me die," Tom's voice echoed through her brain.

"No, there was nothing I could do!" Weiss cried out, trying to shake the voice out of her head.

"You let me die," Tom's voice repeated like a mantra, causing Weiss to screw her eyes shut and break down into tears. The voice stopped suddenly, and Weiss looked up to see two more figures standing where Tom was. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized the two figures were Emerald and Mercury, who each had their weapons while Tom did not. Weiss reached a hand out, and immediately afterwards Emerald and Mercury ripped Tom apart, with his screams of pain filling Weiss' brain, causing her to break down and cry again.

"STOP IT!" Weiss screamed over and over again.

"STOP IT!" she screamed again, this time aloud causing Sam to wake up again. He shook her gently, trying to bring her out of the nightmare.

"Weiss, its me, Sam, everything is okay," he held her gently as Weiss slowly came out of her sleep. Not realizing she was awake and that Sam was holding her, she quickly started screaming again and kicking to try and break free of Sam's grasp. "Weiss, its only me, we're safe in out bed!" Sam called to her, causing her to stop slowly and just begin crying.

"I'm sorry…" she wrapped her arms around Sam and pressed herself against him, trying to muffle her cries.

"Weiss, it's okay, I'm here," he rubbed her back gently trying to calm her down. They laid like that for what seemed to be an hour before Weiss finally calmed down. "Now can you tell me what's wrong?" he pleaded gently.

"Tom was in my dream…saying that I let him die…and then Emerald and Mercury showed up and…and…" Weiss managed to say before breaking down again.

"Shhh, everything is okay, you're safe, I promise," Sam whispered to get her to calm down again. "It's not your fault that Emerald killed Tom. He would never blame you for that. And Emerald and Mercury are dead, there is no need to worry about them."

Weiss took a deep breath and wiped her tears away before responding. "I know, I don't know why I'm having these nightmares. I just want them to stop," she replied, looking down at Sam's pajama shirt and seeing a wet stain from her tears. "S-sorry about that," she pointed to it, embarrassed.

"Oh, don't worry about that," he reassured her, giving her a kiss on her forehead. "Let's just try to think about something else, something happy."

"Like what?" she asked curiously.

"Like…us being together, or your dad and sister, or your teammates being back together, stuff like that," Sam listed off what he could think of.

"I can try," Weiss accepted that was most likely all she could do before laying back down. "Thank you Sam," she snuggled up to him again, this time facing him.

"Anytime, Weiss," he pulled her close and held her before wandering back into sleep.

* * *

Sam awoke just as Weiss had finished changing into her clothes for the day, with her giving a scolding look at him. "As someone who is supposed to be king, he is being awfully lazy," Weiss teased, looking to make sure she had everything she needed. Sam looked over at a clock and saw it was only 7:30 in the morning.

"You're too hard on me," Sam groaned, getting out of bed slowly.

"Only because I love you," Weiss smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now go shower, I'll meet you at breakfast."

"Yes, mom," Sam groaned again, still tired. Weiss simply giggled and left Sam be, who begrudgingly got into the shower and cleaned himself up. By the time he was finished and dressed and down where Weiss was for breakfast, it had already been cooked and waiting for him. "Did you make this Weiss?" he gestured to the stack of pancakes, as well as assortments of chicken, sausage, bacon, and biscuits along with coffee, milk, and orange juice.

"No, I had the butler do it," Weiss said simply, waiting for Sam to catch on. "Of course I did it, dolt, now come eat!"

"Well, thank you," Sam smiled and sat down to eat.

"You're welcome," Weiss said with a blush after taking a sip of coffee.

"Do you think anyone will come?" Sam asked curiously.

"Of course, I'm not sure how many, but I have no doubt people will come," she answered as she took a bite of a biscuit.

"I hope your right," Sam muttered as he finished his fourth strip of bacon.

After breakfast, Sam and Weiss walked out of the dorms together in time to see a massive crowd of people standing in front of it. "What's going on?" he asked the closest person, who simply responded with a warm smile.

"We are responding to your call, King Engle," the woman responded.

As Sam looked over the crowd in disbelief, five gentlemen walked forward and got on their knees before him. As they did, the entire crowd behind them followed suit, with the area becoming incredibly silent. "We are the remaining command Council of Tethara, spread out over the world to ensure our people's survival. You have been lost to us for some time, my lord, but with the message you sent out we now know our people truly do have a chance," the one in the center of the five who came forward spoke.

"How many Tetharans have you brought with you?" Sam asked as he looked over the expanse.

"This is merely the preliminary force, your highness. I have 2,500 Tetharans here, and will have another 7,500 soldiers on their way tomorrow," the man replied, looking up at him.

"Are they the only survivors?" Sam questioned, concerned.

"No sir, we still have several thousand more scattered at the respective kingdoms, we are simply those who have volunteered to stand with the forces of Remnant to assist you in destroying the White Fang," the man finished.

"This…this is incredible," Sam was almost speechless.

"With the several thousand I have mentioned scattered across the kingdoms, they have offered their services to defend the kingdoms from further invasion and have bolstered their weakened defenses, sir. The only thing standing in our way now is the Tetharan leader of the White Fang," the man explained.

"Very well, thank you. I will introduce you to the headmaster of this academy, and he will arrange for your housing as well as food and supplies. Council, if you will come with me," Sam spoke to the crowd, in which the crowd responded only with nods and some cheers.

* * *

"You coming along too, Weiss?" Blake was surprised to see the pair walking up to her the next morning.

"Of course. As you know my family has…made mistakes in the past dealing with faunus, and I'd like to personally apologize and make sure that doesn't happen again," Weiss replied.

"Alright then, we leave for Menagerie," Blake turned around and walked into an awaiting airship Sam had set for them to take. Sam and Weiss followed after her quickly, and within moments the airship was off the ground.

"Where is Menagerie again?" Sam asked as he lost his balance with the sudden takeoff.

"The far southeast corner of Remnant. My father and his followers fled there after the White Fang turned more violent," Blake answered.

"Right. So, what should we expect?" Weiss asked, sitting down on a bench in the open space of the airship.

"Well, there was a reason you had probably never heard of Menagerie before I told you about it. It's a secret hiding spot for faunus who want to escape both the White Fang and the humans who hate our kind," Blake explained.

"And when they see us?" Sam inquired.

"They most likely won'tt shoot us. My dad might look intimidating, but he's a softie at heart, its why he couldn't take the violence," Blake smiled.

"Ha! Most likely won't shoot us," Sam chuckled, "and if they do?"

"Then hopefully we can avoid the shots and explain ourselves," Blake shrugged her shoulders.

The rest of the flight was mostly silent, except for some small talk. After a long day of travel, the island of Menagerie was finally in sight. "Well, they haven't shot us yet, so that's good news," Sam reported as he looked out of the bay door.

"Airship, what business do you have here?" a gruff man's voice called out over the radio.

"We're friendly!" Sam called back through the radio. "We've got Blake Belladonna, and she'd like to talk to her father."

"Is this true?" the gruff voice replied questioningly.

"Yes, I would like to speak with them," Blake answered this time, and the gruff voice didn't respond for some time.

"Very well, you may land," the gruff voice returned after a few minutes. A landing pad lit up as soon as he said it, and the pilot landed as ordered. The lights on the pad went out immediately after they landed, and a few faunus wearing all red armor came out with weapons to check them.

"Drop any weapons you may have," one soldier who appeared to be the leader ordered.

"What's the meaning of this? You can see me in person now, you know this isn't a trick," Blake questioned incredulously.

"We need to make absolutely certain, Ms. Belladonna, your father's orders," the soldier replied, lowering his weapon. The others did as well, as the sound of a door being slammed open sound behind the soldiers.

"Where is she?" A loud bellow came from the same direction as the door. A large man wearing a violet coat that exposed his chest came forward until he saw the group. "Blake?" he asked in disbelief.

"Hey, dad," she showed a small shy smile, before he ran over and gave her a big hug.

"It has been too long! Who are your friends, here?" the man asked happily.

"This is Sam, and this is Weiss Schnee. I don't know if you get any reception from the CCT here, but," Blake began.

"Oh, I think I know what this is about," the man sighed. "We will speak of that later. For now, let's go and get some food. It is good to meet you, Sam and Weiss. My name is Ghira Belladonna, Blake's father if you couldn't tell."

"Its nice to meet you, Ghira," Sam extended his hand to shake his, which he responded by shaking heartily.

"Yes, it is very nice to meet you," Weiss bowed respectfully, which caused some soldiers there to whisper at the action.

"You all may leave," Ghira growled at the faunus around him, who responded by leaving immediately. "I apologize for them, there is a bit of a divide between my people and your family, so it shouldn't come as a surprise they may think less of you," Ghira bowed back.

"Its fine, I understand. That's part of why I'm here, to try and patch together the relationship between at least my family and the Faunus," Weiss admitted.

"Like I said, we'll speak about all of that later, let's go eat. Kali has already made dinner," Ghira turned and walked towards the building he came from, with Blake, Weiss, and Sam following behind him.

"How many followers do you have here, Ghira?" Sam asked as he looked around the island to see several camps scattered around.

"I've definitely got quite a few," Ghira laughed. "My last count had them somewhere around 15,000, but we've had more join the cause."

"15,000 faunus are here?" Weiss asked in surprise.

"At least," Ghira replied. "I wanted to build a strong enough force to where the White Fang would be intimidated enough to back of their violent campaign, but as Remnant has seen, their armies still outsized mine by a wide margin."

"Well, perhaps, if you join us," Sam started.

"Enough, as I said, after dinner please," Ghira shrugged off the subject.

"Very well," Sam sighed in defeat. The rest of the walk was in silence, and eventually they came upon a large mansion. Ghira opened the door for them and allowed them through first, and closing the door behind them.

"Kali, I have brought visitors!" Ghira called.

"Coming, dear!" Kali called from the kitchen, presumably with dinner. She didn't take long and appeared in the hallway in front of them, only to stop. "Blake…?" she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Hey, mom," Blake gave another awkward smile as Kali ran up to hug her daughter.

"I'm so glad your safe," Kali broke the hug after a few moments. "After hearing everything that had been going on with the White Fang and the war…and there wasn't any news from you…"

"I'm sorry mom, I would've tried to contact you, but I kinda got distracted because of somebody behind me pulling me out of the White Fang," Blake turned to look at Sam, who simply scratched the back of his neck.

"You will have to tell us the story over dinner," Kali looked both relieved and excited. "What are your names?"

"I'm Sam, and this is my girlfriend, Weiss Schnee," Sam bowed as he introduced himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Weiss bowed as well, while Kali let out a laugh.

"While I appreciate you two being so polite, please, you don't need to be so formal with me," Kali smiled and turned back towards the kitchen. "Come, we'll talk over dinner." The others followed her, and the talks began.

 **And that's all for this chapter! I'm really eager to get to the final fight, but there is some filler things we need to go over first. I know, I know, I just want the action, but this is important too! Thank you guys so much for reading, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, or ideas, please leave a review! I will see you all in the next chapter!**


	27. Chapter 26

"My lady," a soldier called out to Cinder.

"What is it?" Cinder had nearly fallen asleep on the throne and stood slowly, stretching towards the sky.

"You have…quite a few visitors, ma'am," the soldier replied awkwardly. Behind him, there were several hundred armored warriors down on their knees, with one out in front of the rest.

"Who are you?" Cinder questioned without much interest.

"Lord Cinder, we are Tetharans, to be used at your service," the man in front responded.

"What proof do you have? And if you truly are Tetharans, why did you come here instead of to the king?" Cinder asked.

"We are those who despise the kingdoms of Remnant for what they did to our kingdom, and any Tetharan king who would assist them is no king to us," the man answered,

"I see. Very well, Tetharan or not, I will not reject more bodies between myself and the forces of Remnant. One of the other officers here will show you where you will set up and rest," Cinder dismissed them with a wave of her hand, and the warriors stood up to leave. "This fight has certainly gotten more interesting."

* * *

"How could he do that?" Ironwood slammed his fist down on his desk, sighing.

"General, are you alright?" Winter asked as she walked into his office.

"Ah!" Ironwood fell back into his chair, not expecting anyone to come in. "Winter, what are you doing here?" he questions after recovering.

"I thought I'd come up and check on how things were going," Winter shrugged her shoulders. What were you saying about 'How could he' or something like that?"

"Oh, its nothing to worry about Winter. Just thinking is all," Ironwood smiled.

"Its about Sam calling together Tetharan forces, isn't it sir?" Winter sighed, seeing through Ironwood's smile.

"Yes, it is," he let out another sigh. "The people of Remnant will be furious, and the last thing we need is internal conflict."

"Why would the people be so upset?" she asked curiously.

"It's the whole reason the war was fought 100 years ago to destroy Tethara, people are scared of those naturally stronger than they are," Ironwood explained.

"I thought Sam was our friend, shouldn't we support him in whatever he decides?" Winter thought out loud.

"Of course. I'm just concerned with what the people will have to say about it, and the political aftereffects will be," Ironwood looked towards his scroll before putting it away in his jacket and standing to leave. "I'm sorry Winter, but I've got a meeting with the other generals for the battle," Ironwood patted her head. "Say hello to your father for me."

Winter puts her hair back in its proper place afterwards, and bows respectfully, "Of course, General Ironwood." Ironwood left his office, with Winter glancing over his desk and walking out after him.

* * *

"You want my forces help?" Ghira sighed as he took a sip of tea.

"Yes, sir, we may need them to win the fight," Sam replied pleading.

"Dad, you haven't seen the fights we've been in, we need all of the help we can get," Blake also pleaded.

"Actually, I did see the match between your friends and Emerald and Mercury, so I believe I know exactly what I would be sending my armies into," Ghira retorted gruffly.

"Wrong, you saw part of the battle," Sam countered. "You didn't see what happened after Weiss got stabbed." Weiss shuttered.

"What exactly do you mean?" Kali asked curiously.

"I arrived on the battlefield as the feed cut out and killed Emerald and Mercury," Sam explained, with Ghira almost choking on what he was eating and Kali's eyes going wide.

"You killed them?" Kali looked at him in surprise.

"Yes, I did," Sam nodded.

"Well, if the Allied forces have someone of your strength, as well as potential Tetharan forces, why do they need us?" Ghira composed himself.

"After everything the White Fang has done, if the people of Remnant see a force of Faunus warriors defending Remnant they are much more likely to hear what you have to say rather than just dismiss you as terrorists," Sam replied.

"That, and the kingdoms have taken heavy casualties. Having fresh forces to assist will help a lot with morale," Weiss added, with Blake nodding her approval.

"And if we lose?" Kali took the place of her husband as he seemed to consider it.

"We're hoping with the addition of your forces that we won't have to worry about losing, ma'am," Sam answered.

"Hoping? We have to face facts, not hypotheses. If we lose the battle what happens?" Ghira took over again.

"If we lose, sir, then the world is doomed," Sam told them grimly. This caused Kali and Ghira to grow silent, now understanding the weight of the battle.

"If that is truly the case, then I cannot stay on the sideline," Ghira stood up from the table, with the others standing as well. "Sam, when your invasion begins, our forces will be there alongside the Allied forces," Ghira stuck his hand out.

"Thank you, sir," Sam shook his hand and smiled.

"No need to thank me, now, how do you two know my daughter exactly?" Ghira wished to move on to a different subject that wasn't as serious.

"Well, I first met her after Sam brought her back from the White Fang, so Sam would be better at this story," Weiss admitted, with everyone turning to face Sam.

"I believe the first time we met, I was working overtime at a grocery store when someone had broken in to steal goods. I went over to where the intruder was and saw Blake standing there, using clones to help her get the food out of the store." This earned her a glare from her parents, and she just sat awkwardly, "I told her to stop, to which she turned to see me, and I guess she thought she'd someone bigger because after she saw me she relaxed and didn't see me as a threat," Sam began.

"I thought you were just a store worker!" Blake defended herself shyly.

"Well, after telling her that the White Fang wasn't the right path, she seemed to consider it before leaving the store with the goods. I remember taking inventory of what she stole and writing a check for it out of my paycheck so you wouldn't be in trouble," Sam admitted, and Blake's face grew red with embarrassment.

"You paid for that?" Blake asked as she grew even more awkward. Sam responded with a nod.

"Even more reason to give you my help, you helped my daughter even when it put your financial stability at risk," Ghira remarked, giving another little playful glare at Blake.

"We didn't see each other for a while after that, and I think the next time was in the forest outside a White Fang base. I was out there training while killing Grimm and she snuck up on me just as I was finishing them off. I saw her coming while I was killing the monsters and called out to her after I was done. I gave her an opportunity to come with me and get out of the White Fang, but she wasn't sure. I gave her some evidence of the evil things they had done but she didn't want to believe me. She ran back to the White Fang base and I wouldn't see her again until I brought troops there a couple years later," Sam continued.

"To be fair dear, we did try to warn her too but she didn't believe us. It's why she stayed while Ghira and I left," Kali interrupted. Blake looked down in embarrassment again.

"You led troops against the White Fang? Was this before the war?" Ghira hadn't heard of that conflict.

"Yes, it was. Weiss came to Vale in place of her father to speak about an expansion of the Schnee Dust Company into the city when the White Fang attacked. She managed to get away after I saved her from a soldier who had her cornered," Sam looked to Weiss affectionately, a trace of guilt as he looked at the scar.

"It was where I got this scar," Weiss said for him, "and I don't blame him for it, considering I thought he was dead at the time!"

Sam chuckled as Ghira and Kali looked at the two in confusion. "Another story for another time. We traced the source of White Fang activity to a base outside of Vale and I made the plan of attack with what military Vale had, even though there were Atlas forces in the area. We started leaving for the assault at midnight, started the siege of their camp at sunrise and managed to take the camp within a few hours. Blake and Adam had already left to raid a Schnee Dust Company train, and I followed after her with our reserve forces in airships. We watched the battle on the train take place, as well as Blake cutting the train in two and leaving Adam behind. After that, I had an airship land on the train and we brought Blake with us back to Vale, and she agreed to come to Beacon to become a huntress," Sam finished the tale.

"Quite the story," Ghira rubbed his beard.

"Quite so," Kali rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Why didn't you open fire on both Adam Taurus and my daughter?" Ghira questioned out of curiosity.

"Because I trusted Blake. I knew if she truly wanted equality that she would break free from the White Fang, and I was right," Sam crossed his arms confidently while Blake smiled at him.

"Mr. Ghira, sir!" a monkey faunus barged into the room, with three other non-faunus behind him. He then looked very awkward as the group at the table stared at him and his friends, before snapping to attention.

"What is it Mr. Wukong?" Ghira asked annoyingly.

"We heard that Sam Engle was here, and wanted to know if he was asking us to fight, sir," the Wukong replied, bowing respectfully with his other teammates.

"Wait, Sun Wukong? Like from the Mistral team that captured Roman Torchwick?" Sam stood back up and looked over the four of them.

"Yes, sir, that's me!" Sun smiled up at him. "These are the teammates that helped me do that."

"My name is Neptune Vasilias," the blue haired one winked at Weiss, who rolled her eyes and pointed to Sam, indicating they were together.

"I am Scarlet David," the red haired one bowed respectfully.

"And I'm Sage Ayana," the dark-skinned green haired one waved.

"And together, we make up Team SSSN, led by me," Sun Wukong jumped in front of the others while they fell in behind him.

"Interesting," Sam mused after giving a death stare to Neptune. "But if I may ask, why did you leave Mistral? And why did you come here to an all-faunus cause while your teammates aren't faunus?"

"Well, its not the first time I left a city," Sun admitted. "I'm from Vacuo, but moved to Mistral to go to Haven and then when the war came up we fought at the battle of Mistral and that was when I heard about the group of faunus that had left the White Fang and made their own faction. My team wouldn't let me go by myself, so they came with me and Mr. Belladonna allowed them to stay. That, and Neptune wouldn't go back on the water for any reason."

"Shut up!" Neptune smacked the back of Sun's head.

"You're afraid of water? But your name is…never mind, whatever," Sam shook his head. "So you all are willing to help?"

"Heck yeah! We beat up on the White Fang with you back in Mistral, and we'd gladly do it again," Sun popped his knuckles with anticipation.

"Glad to hear it," Sam smirked and turned to sit back down at the table.

"Care to join us?" Kali stood and brought more seats over to the table.

"If you wouldn't mind, thank you," Scarlet answered for the team, bowing respectfully with the others following. Sun sat next to Blake, Neptune attempted to sit down next to Weiss only to receive another death glare, Sage sat next to Sam, and Scarlet sat down next to Ghira. Neptune ended up sitting between Sun and Kali, super awkward after he finally got the hint when Sam put his arm around Weiss and they kissed.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Sun asked as he sipped the tea Kali poured for him.

"Just how I met Blake and about the battle," Sam responded, still holding Weiss' hand, with her blushing slightly.

"What about you, Ms. Schnee?" Ghira asked politely as Sun turned to look at Blake for a moment.

"Yes, sir?" Weiss looked at him curiously.

"What did you think of my daughter when you first met her?" Ghira continued.

"Well, Sam told me that she was in the White Fang, so I wasn't sure I could trust her after what has happened between my family and them, as well as what happened in Vale. But then she came up to me and apologized for what she had done, even though she wasn't responsible for what happened to me or my family," Weiss answered, smiling at Blake politely with Blake smiling back.

"So, Sam, Weiss said something about you being…dead?" Kali tried to understand.

"I met Weiss a long time ago when she was 4. I was basically 4 in appearance, at 104, since I'm Tetharan, so we got along when we were younger. After her dad learned I was Tetharan from Ozpin, my mentor and the headmaster of Beacon Academy, he couldn't take me in and I didn't have anywhere to go, so he asked Ozpin to kill me to put me out of my misery," Sam explained.

"How awful!" Kali put a hand up to her mouth while Ghira watched in surprise.

"Something I'm still upset about from time to time," Weiss closed her eyes to prevent them from twitching.

"So Ozpin faked my death, but I couldn't keep in contact until I was older because Weiss' father would know that Ozpin disobeyed his trust. The time she came to Vale to give her speech and I saved her was the first time I had seen her in several years," Sam admitted, looking at his girlfriend sadly.

"At least it worked out, yes?" Scarlet offered after finishing a steak that Kali had made for dinner.

"Yes, it did indeed," Weiss opened her eyes and kissed Sam's cheek, with the rest of the table smiling.

"So when is the invasion?" Ghira brought the conversation back to its original, undesired topic.

"In three weeks. We'll need that time to prepare our troops and get them into position for the attack," Sam responded confidently.

"Will you be staying here for an extended period of time? Or will you be leaving in the morning?" Kali asked, curious if she should prepare spare bedrooms.

"We can stay for a few days, but I will need to get back to Vale by the end of the week," Sam answered.

"Wonderful! I'm sure the soldiers would like to get to know you, and we would love to hear some more stories of your adventures so far," Ghira laughed and smiled at the three of them.

"Yeah, maybe we could show you around the island!" Sun said to the group, but looked towards Blake, who blushed lightly.

"I would like that," Blake replied, with Sam and Weiss nodding their heads.

"Shall I prepare 2 beds or 3?" Kali winked at Sam and Weiss, the latter blushing a bit more than before.

"2 will be enough," Sam smiled in response, with Kali nodding and walking down into a different corridor to prepare the rooms.

"Well, we should be getting back to our own quarters," Sun said, standing up and stretching. The other members murmured their agreement and stood as well.

"It was nice to meet you, Team SSSN," Sam and the others stood as well to say their goodbyes. Sam shakes each of their hands, but pulls Neptune a bit closer to whisper into his ear, "Flirt with my girlfriend again and your body will never be found," Sam threatened.

"Of course! No problem!" Neptune bowed quickly.

"Great!" Sam's threatening demeanor switched to a friendly one, patting Neptune on the back who walked away shivering. Weiss rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's protectiveness, but secretly liked it a lot.

"We'll see you guys tomorrow!" Sun waved one last goodbye as they left.

"You like Sun, don't you?" Weiss asked bluntly, with Ghira laughing at her forwardness.

"W-What?" Blake was taken back by the question.

"You blushed whenever he directed any attention to you," Sam pointed out, with Ghira coming up behind her.

"Sun is a good man. He loves his friends dearly and would do anything for them. I think the two of you would be a good couple," Ghira placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ugh, not you too dad," Blake looked down in embarrassment with the three of them laughing. Kali came back shortly after, saying their rooms were ready. Sam, Weiss, and Blake each said their thanks, and went to their rooms to get ready for bed. Sam got into bed first with his plaid red pajama pants and loose fitting grey shirt while Weiss wore her usual night gown and got in bed after him. They wrapped their arms around each other, both tired, kissed, and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Chaney stood by herself on a cliff just outside Mistral. The wind blew by softly, and she looked down at the headstone of her father's grave. She let out a long sigh and sat down, playing with the grass. "Dad…I don't know if you can hear me, but I think I know now that you weren't my biological father," she started shakily. "You loved me like I was your own, and I can never repay that kindness."

She took a breath, and then resumed, "I don't know who my biological father is, heck I don't even know who my biological mother is. I wish you were still alive, and then you could just tell me."

The wind blew some more, faster this time.

"It can't be Cinder…it just can't. But if it is? What am I supposed to tell people when they find out? What do I do?" she questioned the sky, looking up and hoping for a sign of something.

Suddenly, the wind blew by extremely fast, knocking Chaney back onto her back. When the wind died down, she looked up and thought she was dreaming as she saw her father Jeff Ashcroft sitting in front of her.

"Hello, my daughter," he smiled, with an echoic sound to his voice.

"Dad!" Chaney tried to give him a hug, but she phased through him.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I cannot stay long," Jeff sighed sadly.

"Dad, who is my mother? Do you know who she was? What about my dad?" Chaney questioned rapidly.

"Chaney, dear, please calm down," he put his hand up to get her to quiet down. "I cannot tell you who your mother is, because you must find that out for yourself."

"Is it Cinder?" Chaney questioned, with tears building up in her eyes.

"I cannot tell you. I came here to give you peace, not to give you guidance," Jeff smiled sadly. "I'm sorry that I died that day. I know you did everything you could, and if I were still alive I don't know if I would tell you or let you find out for yourself. What I can tell you is that your answers are coming, sooner than you may think." As he said this, he began to fade away into the sunrise, and Chaney stood and reached her hand out.

"Dad, please don't go!" she began to cry.

"You will see me again, dear, on the other side," he smiled, and waved his goodbye. "Until next time, dear." And with that, Jeff Ashcroft vanished. Chaney broke down onto her hands and knees and cried for the remainder of that morning.

 **Three weeks left until the battle(In Remnant Time)! We've got plenty of more things to cover before that happens, so sit tight! We're gonna uncover some secrets and tie up loose ends and then it will be invasion time. Thank you guys so much for reading, if you have any questions, comments, concerns, criticisms, or ideas, please leave a review! I will see you all next chapter! Until next time.**


End file.
